


The Curse of a Hyuga Twin

by TheSlytherdorNinja



Category: Naruto
Genre: Chuunin Exams, F/M, Konohagakure | Hidden Leaf Village, Original Character(s), Reincarnation, Self Insert, Sunagakure | Hidden Sand Village
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:34:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 70
Words: 116,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25657501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSlytherdorNinja/pseuds/TheSlytherdorNinja
Summary: All Hana Lashi ever wanted was an ordinary life, nothing too boring, nothing too action-packed. Of course she would never get that. Instead,  she died at 14 and was reborn into the Naruto World as Hanara Hyuga sister to Hinata Hyuga.Man, surviving in this world was going to be such a pain
Relationships: Undisclosed Relationship(s)
Comments: 146
Kudos: 335
Collections: A Collection of Beloved Inserts, Amazing OFC fanfiction





	1. Birth and Death

**Author's Note:**

> This was posted on Wattpad, Quotev, and fanfiction.net by me under the name 'Hanara Hyuga' before I changed it.

Hana's life flashed right in front of her eyes as her mind processed what happened to her. She was hit by a car that was definitely going way past the speed limit of 60 km/h. The force of being hit on her stomach by the car had sent her flying for a few seconds before her head hit the concrete, blood oozing out of it.

_'I'm gonna die,'_ the fourteen-year-old thought as her vision got blurrier by the second, _'Man, I'd always wanted to die peacefully. No pain... just die of natural causes after living a long healthy life. Well, that wasn't going to happen apparently.'_

And then, Hana Lashi died.

She floated around her death scene, hearing the faint sounds of sirens in the distance.

_'Maybe I'll get to haunt my old bullies,' Hana thought, 'Wouldn't that be fun?_ '

"Or you could get a second chance."

"Huh? Who's that," Hana asked, turning around. "Don't bother looking, you won't find me. I'm speaking in your mind, sort of like Harry Potter's Sorting Hat except I don't need to be anywhere close to you. To answer your question, I'm Kamatayan, one of the people in charge of the dead. We have decided to give you a second chance at life if you want to take it. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, literally. We don't give this chance to just anyone so choose wisely. Also, if you say yes, you can choose whether you want to keep your memories or not."

"Another chance at life? Sure I'll take it, who wouldn't? I don't exactly want to spend the rest of my days haunting people. And I want my memories, the idea of losing them is..... creepy."

"All right, I'm going to give you a bit of information on your next life and then I'll go. I'm not allowed to stick around for any questions, sadly. You are going to be the second-born child to the head of a very prestigious clan. The village you'll live in is pretty famous and is full of ninja. Your name is going to be Hanara Hyuga. That's all I can tell you. Goodbye."

Clan? Ninja? Hyuga? Hana's mind was swarming with questions. That all sounded like it came out of some type of anime show that Sharon, Hana's bestie, watched. Before Hana could try and ask one of them though, she started feeling a weird sensation.

After a few minutes of feeling sucked into a tube, Hana opened her eyes to see a bright light. She heard the cries of a baby and she felt like she was being held. She couldn't have been reincarnated already, could she? It was only a few minutes after she agreed, don't spirits get a day of rest before being reborn?

"This darling will be named Hinata, Hinata Hyuga," a soft voice from the other side of the room said, "And that little girl will be named Hanara Hyuga."

Hinata... hmm, that name rung a bell. Oh no! It's not Hinata Hyuga from Naruto is it? Not that show that Sharon was always trying to get Hana to watch? Hana looked up into the eyes of the person holding her and let out a wail of despair. They were whitish lavender and pupil-less. She really was born into an anime.

Oh god, this is going to be sooooo frustrating.


	2. The Worst Birthday Ever, Pt. 1

After a while, Hana, or well, Hanara got used to being in the world of Naruto. She accepted that Yuki Hyuga was her Mother and Hiashi Hyuga was her Father, it was her choice to be reborn after all. In fact, she became fond of them, her mother more than her Father but that was to be expected. She knew that Hiashi Hyuga was not particularly nice to Hinata because of the number of times that Sharon had ranted about him in her past life and so, Hanara was on her guard around him from the start. The first time Hanara realized how cruel Hiashi Hyuga could be, however, was on her third birthday.

* * *

"Hinata, Hanara, wake up, we have to get you ready for the party," Hanara heard her Mother say softly as she was shaken awake from her relaxing name.

Hanara yawned and stretched before sitting up on her bed, "What party?"

"Your birthday party, silly," her mother laughed as she finally succeeded in waking up Hinata.

Hanara's eyes widened as she realized what was about to go down today. She may or may not be given the cursed seal, she would meet Neji today and he would get the cursed seal, Hinata would be kidnapped, and Hizashi would die.

"But Mom, can't we go to the Festival instead? I really wanted to go," Hinata whined.

God, what child doesn't want a birthday party? Even after three years of living in The Hidden Leaf Village, Hanara still hasn't gotten used to its weirdness.

"No Hinata, you have to go to your birthday party. As the heiress to this clan, you having a third birthday party is extremely important," Yuki explained patiently, "Now, get in the bathroom so you both can have a shower."

"Yes, Mother," Hinata and Hanara chorused.

Once Hinata and Hanara were thoroughly washed, they changed into the nearly identical kimonos that their mother had given them as their mother went downstairs to make some final touches to the decor.

As the twins finished checking each other over to make sure everything was okay, their mother yelled, "Come downstairs Hinata and Hanara, our first guest is at the door."

"Coming," Hanara screamed as she dragged Hinata down the stairs.

Once the girls reached their mother, who was tapping her foot impatiently at the bottom of the stairs, it was Hanara's turn to be dragged. Yuki trusted Hinata to follow but with Hanara, anything could happen.

Yuki brought her daughters to the door and opened it to find a man that looked exactly like Hiashi and a boy, "Come in, Hizashi. Is this little Neji?"

"Yes, this is Neji. Hinata and Hanara I presume," Hizashi said as he walked in with Neji.

"Yes. Hinata is the one with short hair while Hanara has long hair. Have a seat, I'll go get Hiashi," Yuki said as she guided them to the chairs in the backyard.

Once Yuki was out of hearing range, Hanara turned to Hizashi. She was going to have some fun acting like a child.

"You look a lot like my dad. Why?" She asked.

Hizashi laughed, "I'm his twin. My name is Hizashi and this boy here is Neji."

"Ooh! I have a cousin? That's so cool," Hanara exclaimed, trying her best to act like a happy child. Inside though, she vowed to help Neji remain the joyful, innocent, child he was because one of the clearest things in her memory of her past life was Sharon ranting about a destiny-obsessed person named Neji that Naruto had fixed. How she was going to help him in a matter of minutes, she didn't know, but she sure as hell was going to try.

"Hello, Hanara-sama, Hinata-sama, I am Neji," Neji said, holding out his hand.

"Hello Neji-san, there's no need to call me Hanara-sama. Just Hanara or Hanara-san is fine," Hanara said, smiling as she shook his hand

"Yes, s- same for me. J- Just Hinata or Hinata-san is f- fine." Hinata said, stuttering as she shook Neji's hand as well.

"Ahh, Hizashi you made it. I shall take Neji and Hanara to be sealed now. Neji, Hanara, follow me," Hiashi said.

'Damn, not even a hello to your daughters, your brother, or your nephew. Just orders.' Hanara thought as she tugged on Neji's hand and followed her father. They walked up the stairs, past Hinata and Hanara's bedroom, past Hiashi's bedroom, and into the room beside Hiashi's office. The room that had always been off-limits.

"Father, you said that this room is forbidden," Hanara commented as she took in her surroundings. The room had a wooden floor and the walls and ceiling were painted white. There was a single light for the room. There were a few wooden bookshelves that were overflowing with scrolls along with a matching wooden desk with a few papers scattered on its surface as well as a desk light.

"It was forbidden to you before because the time had not come for you to be sealed. Only the clan head can be in here unless someone is to get sealed. It is for the protection of these scrolls." Hiashi replied before turning to Neji, "Neji-san, come here, it is time for you to be sealed."

Neji walked towards Hanara's father as Hanara turned away, knowing exactly what was about to happen. Then Hanara thought of something, if she goes first, she can maybe gain Neji's trust or at least put him on his guard if Hizashi still hadn't explained the seal completely to him.

"Father, I'll go first."

"Hanara...," Hiashi said, fumbling for an excuse, "It is a tradition for the elder child to get sealed first."

"If it's tradition then shouldn't we wait for the rest of the Hyuga to come? Surely Neji and I are not the only ones that are to be sealed today."

Hiashi sighed and motioned for Neji to go back as Hanara tried to fake a happy walk towards her father. In all honesty, Hanara was absolutely terrified. She was _allowing_ someone to put a torture device on her for the rest of her life and she hated it. Hanara felt her father's now chakra coated palm against her forehead and braced herself.

She screamed. She screamed louder than she thought was humanly possible. She thought she knew pain when the truck hit her and her head hit the concrete but this? This took things to a whole other level. It felt like her brain was being squeezed and pounded at the same time along with it being poked by pins. It was the weirdest feeling she'd ever felt, and that's counting her past life as well.

After about what felt like 5 hours of continuous pain (but would probably be 5 minutes), Hanara sank to her knees and panted. She felt like she was going to blackout any second now but she just had to see Neji's face, to see his reaction, to see if he knew her reason for going before him. When Hanara turned around and found Neji's face, it seemed like he knew exactly why she went before him because he sent her a small smile. That was the last thing she saw before she blacked out.


	3. The Worst Birthday Ever, Pt. 2

_ Last time: _

_After about what felt like 5 hours of continuous pain (but would probably be 5 minutes), Hanara sank to her knees and panted. She felt like she was going to blackout any second now but she just had to see Neji's face, to see his reaction, to see if he knew her reason for going before him. When Hanara turned around and found Neji's face. It seemed as if he knew exactly why she went before him because he sent her a small smile. That was the last thing she saw before she blacked out._

** Now: **

Hanara woke up to find herself in her playroom with Neji beside her. Hinata and her mother were nowhere to be seen and there was no noise around her. _'Has the party finished already? And where are Hinata and Mother?'_

"Neji, where are my mom and Hinata," she asked.

"Oh, you're awake. Your father instructed me to bring you to him once you woke up. Come with me," Neji said as he got up.

"You never answered my question," Hanara grumbled under her breath as she stood up, following Neji. Before she could get too far though, her knees buckled and she was back on the ground.

"You are still too weak. I shall go to your father and inform him that you are awake. You stay here," Neji ordered as he walked away.

Hanara just sat there thinking. _Have I changed enough? Neji doesn't seem like a destiny obsessed bitch yet... maybe intervening his sealing was enough. I can't tell until his father is dead though and I don't want it to come to that. Maybe I should mess up Hinata's kidnapping so that Hia- sorry my father doesn't have to kill that ninja from the Cloud. I have to train though and-_

"Hanara."

"Yes father," Hanara responded, startled from her thoughts. She looked up and realized that Neji and Hizashi were there as well. ' _What could possibly require them to be here?'_ she wondered.

"From this day onward, you are no longer a part of the main family. I am no longer your father, you no longer have a mother, and Hinata is no longer your sister. Hizashi has graciously offered to take you into his home and if you accept, Neji will be something like an elder brother," Hiashi said with a blank look on his face, like he was trying to hide his emotions.

Hanara's eyes widened in shock before she quickly put an indifferent look on her face. She didn't expect this. She knew that Hiashi Hyuga could be a cruel man but to give away your own daughter just because she was born a few seconds after your first? That is beyond sick! Fine! Two can play at that game. She's going to show him just how little she cares for this sick family.

"Oh, I see. Well, I'd quite like to live with Hizashi-sama and Neji! It would be nice to have an elder brother. Can someone bring me to my old room so I can pack? The party _is_ over is it not?"

Hiashi seemed unaffected by Hanara's response but Hanara knew better. There was a flash of shock in his eyes for a moment before he recovered. _'Ha! I'm probably taking it better than he thought I would. Or well, at least he thinks that I am.'_ Hanara internally snickered before realizing something. _'If I want to keep this act up, I can't go see Mother or Hinata out of my own will, they'll have to come to me and Fath- sorry Hiashi  might not let them.' _Hanara thought sadly.

"Yes, the party's over. I'll carry you to your room, okay?" Hizashi responded.

"Okay!" Hanara replied in a falsely cheery voice as Hizashi lifted her, "Bye Hiashi-sama!"

 _'Okay, maaaaybe the Hiashi-sama was a bit much but... ya know giving up your daughter is horrible!'_ Hanara thought to herself as she directed Hizashi to her

"You don't have to act you know." Hizashi commented as he set Hanara down on my bed, "I know exactly how you feel, it happened to me too."

"What do you mean I don't have to act? Who said I was acting," Hanara asked, attempting to defend herself.

"You're probably hurting inside and that's fine. You probably feel like your father is abandoning you and to be honest, that's exactly what's happening."

 _'He nailed it. That's exactly what I was feeling,'_ Hanara thought, _'Should I open up to him? He is going to be my new father figure. You know what? Screw it. Imma pour all of my frustration onto him. Besides, it isn't healthy to keep everything bottled up.' _Hanara reasoned.

"It hurts." She said, finally.

"What hurts?" Hizashi asked gently.

"The fact that he's willing to throw away his daughter for the sake of the clan's traditions. Not that I don't like you or anything but, my father is giving me to someone who's practically a stranger. He wasn't the best dad, but he was mine and now he's saying that he's not! Sometimes I wish I wasn't a Hyuga."

"A lot of us branch members do too. You must remember though that we were born as a branch member for a reason, destiny has given us this fate for a reason and as much as we do not like it, we must accept it." 

_'So that's where Neji got his destiny complex from... maybe Hizashi dying was a good thing then. God, that was cruel of me to even think!'_

"Enough of that," Hanara said smiling, "I have to pack my things!"

"I'll help you get around," Hizashi said, ruffling Hanara's hair.

One or two hours later, Hanara and Hizashi were finished packing. They took all her picture books, stuffed animals, clothing, stationery, toys, and bags. All but one, a small, purple, stuffed kitten. Hanara had decided that if she were to run into Hinata, she would give Hinata the kitten. Purple was always Hinata's favourite colour and Hinata had been obsessed with the kitten anyway.

Hizashi put Hanara on his back and carried all of her bags as Hanara held the kitten. They walked down the stairs and, as luck would have it, ran into Hinata and Yuki.

"W- Why are you c- carrying so m-many t- things, Hana," Hinata asked.

"I'm leaving." she smiled, "Here, take the kitten."

Hizashi squatted so that Hanara could give Hinata the kitten.

"W- Why are you l- leaving?"

"Hiashi-sama said I must."

Hinata opened her mouth as if she were going to argue but Moth- sorry Yuki-sama whispered something in her ear and Hinata nodded and took the kitten.

"Goodbye Hanara," Yuki-sama said, hugging me as Hizashi-sama got up from the squat.

"B- Bye Hana."

Hanara smiled and waved as Neji joined his- no _our_ father as we made our way to the door. Neji and Hizashi slipped on their shoes (all of Hanara's were in the bags), Hanara on Hizashi's shoulder's the entire time and left the house. Hanara couldn't help but take one last look at her home. She knew that she would see it again but it would never be _her_ home again.

Then Hanara felt anger, pure anger, towards her old father. She couldn't believe that anyone could be so cruel. Hanara swore she would make him regret the day he decided to abandon her and she knew exactly how she was going to do it. She was going to surpass Hinata and Neji. After all, he was the one that was meant to take care of her in this life and he didn't. She was going to prove to him that he had made a huge mistake.


	4. The Kidnapping and Meeting Hikaru Hyuga

Hanara had finally settled in and was laying down in her bed. It was 10:00 PM according to the alarm clock in her room and she finally heard Hizashi go to bed. Neji and Hanara had been told to fall asleep once they got home from the birthday party, and that was two hours ago! Hana couldn't sleep, but then again, who _would_ be able to sleep when their little sister was about to be kidnapped and their adoptive father/actual uncle might be killed because of the aftermath? She thought that she would be there and be able to make a change but because of her _stupid clan rules_ and _stupid time of birth_ that wasn't going to happen. It seems that even in this life, Hana wasn't going to get an ounce of peace.

After another hour of lying in bed and staring at the ceiling while internally freaking out, Hanara heard a scream. ' _Dammit, it's happening,'_ Hanara thought, _'Did Hizashi hear it? Should I wake him up? I don't want to change anything and Hizashi's situation might get worse if he intervenes... what if Hiashi-sama doesn't wake up though? No. I'm being silly. If I heard it, he definitely will.' _Hanara shook her head and attempted to fall asleep.

In the morning:

Long story short, Hanara didn't get any sleep that night. Instead, she decided to study and practice the Gentle Fist technique using the scrolls she brought with her. She practiced hitting her pillow without using any chakra and then practiced gathering chakra in her hands without hitting anything. The moment she heard Hizashi get up, however, she quickly stopped and ran out of her room to claim the washroom closest to it. She took a shower, brushed her teeth, put on some clothes, brushed her hair, and ran into the kitchen. It was honestly really lucky that this house and practically all the other houses owned by the Hyuga had the same layout because Hanara didn't want to get lost and have to rely on someone else to get to where she wanted to be.

"Good morning Hanara," Hizashi smiled.

"Good morning..... uh, what do you want me to call you? Father? Or sir? Or Hizashi-sama? Or Uncle? Or..."

"Your dad preferred that you call me Father, "He replied softly," I understand if you don't want to but you have to call me that in his presence."

_'I swear to god, that man, he is no doubt the most awful father to ever exist! I will never understand how Hinata dealt with him. How can he call himself a clan leader when he can barely raise a child!' _Hanara thought as she responded with a short nod of her head.

"I suppose I'll call you Father then. I can already tell that you'll be a better father to me than my actual one ever would be, " Hanara responded with a bit of venom in her voice.

Then there was a knock at the door. _'People are coming over at 8:00 AM on a Saturday? Weird.'_ Hanara thought as she ran to the door. She opened it to find Hikaru, Hiashi's errand-runner.

"Hikaru-san?"

"Oh, hello Hanara-san, can you bring me to Hizashi-sama? There are some things we need to discuss."

"Of course, come on in, "Hanara responded as she led him into the kitchen. 

_'Not already! The Cloud Ninja seriously cannot be considering the life for a life thing already! I only met this man yesterday! No, calm down Hana, they are just telling Hizashi so that he can break the news to me slowly and keep me safe, that's all. Yes, that must be it.'_ Hanara thought as she led Hikaru into the kitchen.

"Father, Hikaru-san wants to talk to you," Hanara told Hizashi, internally smirking when Hikaru heard the 'father'.

Hikaru sent Hizashi a look that practically screamed _'This is private'_ and so, Hizashi said, "Hanara, could you go wake up Neji? He shouldn't be sleeping this late in the morning."

"Yes, Father."

Hanara let out a quiet sigh, one that no one but the girl herself could hear, and walked up the stairs. Finding the room was easy, seeing as Neji's room was directly across from the stairs and he always slept with his door open. Hanara really couldn't understand why. Doesn't the boy want any sort of privacy? If the house was broken into, wouldn't it make the thieves' or kidnappers' jobs easier by leaving a room wide open? Shaking her head, Hanara quietly made her way to the sleeping four-year-old and shook him softly.

"Brother, brother. F- Hizashi-sama says that you must be up." Hanara said, hoping that Neji didn't notice the slip-up. She didn't know how Neji would react if he realized that Hanara was calling Hizashi, Father. 

"Good morning sister!"

"Hello Neji," Hanara said, smiling before her face became serious, "Hey, Big Brother, is it okay if I call Hizashi-sama Father?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't it be," Neji asked, looking genuinely confused as he got off the bed.

"I don't know. I just wanted to make sure," Hanara replied softly before hugging him. His eyes widened before he slowly relaxed and hugged her back, "You're my big brother, obviously I'm going to hug you," Hanara exclaimed as she released him. 

Neji's face broke into a huge smile, "Thank you!"

Hanara just smiled as she pushed him towards the bathroom, "Get ready! We have a visitor."

That was all it took for the boy to run into the bathroom. After a few minutes of sitting on the top step, waiting for Neji to come out, Hanara heard Hizashi call for her. 

She made her way into the kitchen and responded, "Yes Father?"

"Hanara, you remember the Cloud Ninja? The festival that was held because of them agreeing to sign a peace treaty?"

"Yes. Hinata-sama wanted to go but Yuki-sama wouldn't let her."

"Well, they attempted to kidnap Hinata-sama. Don't worry though, Hiashi-sama killed the man before he could leave."

"And this concerns me how," Hanara asked, trying to make it seem as if though she didn't care for her immediate family. Hizashi gave her an unimpressed look, but it seemed as if though Hikaru bought it, and that was all she needed.

"Hanara, they might come after you too."

"You said it yourself, Hiashi-sama killed the man."

"But, even once Lord Hokage finds out, the Cloud nin might find a way to stay free and if that happens, you may be targeted."

"Then train me."

"Sorry?"

"Train me. Then you won't have to worry because I'll be able to defend myself. You don't have to teach me much, just enough so I can defend myself until I find a moment to cut off my opponent's chakra. One hit is enough to mess with the whole system right?"

Both Hizashi and Hikaru looked shocked at the fact that Hanara knew that. _'Come on! I know I'm not the heir but I still grew up with all those scrolls lying around the house. I wasn't about to waste the opportunity to learn! I'm growing up in a world where people die left and right! Even if someone isn't directly targeting me I still could die because I'm in the wrong place at the wrong time. I need to be able to defend myself!'_ Hanara thought.

"Yes, you are correct. I will train you when I train Neji."

"Thank you!"

"I must be going- oh, who is that," Hikaru asked, noticing Neji coming down the stairs.

"This is my son, Neji Hyuga," Hizashi said, smiling, "Neji, this is Hikaru Hyuga."

"Hello, Hikaru-sama, it is a pleasure to meet you," Neji said, sticking out his hand.

"Hello Neji," Hikaru said, shaking Neji's hand, "I wish I could stick around and chat but I must get going. It was a pleasure meeting you Neji, goodbye Hanara-san and Hizashi-sama," Hikaru called as he slipped on his slippers.

"Goodbye Hikaru-san/Hikaru-sama," they all called.

And with that, the door snapped shut, leaving a confused Neji, thoughtful Hizashi, and panicking Hanara.


	5. We Love You, Hizashi

Since the day Hikaru visited Hizashi, Hizashi has been leaving Neji and Hanara alone in the house for meetings in the main house. Most of the time he spent in the house was now used to train Neji and Hanara and when Hizashi wasn't there, he would make the two children spar. Hanara knew that she had asked for training but she assumed she would have a break. Like man, who expects a freaking three-year-old to train from sunrise to sunset with only meals for breaks? Not anyone from her old life, that's who. Although, knowing what she did about Naruto, many people in this sick universe would.

Currently, Hanara and Neji were sparring. Hizashi was at the main house for yet another Hyuga clan meeting although, Hanara thought that was just a ruse. Why would they invite Hizashi? He was just another branch member. Hanara remembered the meetings that took place in her old home, they were just for Hiashi, her grandfather, and a few other elderly people that Hiashi had chosen. She didn't ever remember Hizashi going to her home. Hanara was shocked out of her thoughts when Neji landed yet another blow to her arm. Sharon wasn't lying when she said Neji wasa prodigy.

"You are not concentrating. I remember your skill level, that hit would have been an easy one for you to block or dodge," Neji stated, "Take a break, we will resume in a few minutes."

"Okay," Hanara responded as she sat on the platform close to the door to the house.

"What's on your mind," Neji asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Obviously there's something you're thinking about, why else would you not be paying attention? Nothing here can distract you."

Something inside Hanara told her to tell Neji and so, she did, "I'm just getting a feeling. Something's going on and I don't think we're going to like the outcome."

"What makes you think that?"

"When I was living with Hiashi-sama, I would see the guests to the clan meetings and well, they rarely invited branch members. Usually, they would come for one out of the four meetings each month and Father was rarely invited. You know I hadn't even met him until my birthday. Something's going on and I think it has to do with the kidnapping attempt."

"Maybe they are just teaching Father how to protect you and keep you safe."

"How can he keep me safe if he is rarely in the house?"

There was a beat.

"Nevermind that now, I'm probably being silly. Let's spar again Neji."

Still, Hanara couldn't help but think that Hizashi's days living on Earth were coming to an end and that all her efforts to keep Neji from becoming destiny obsessed were going to end up in vain.

* * *

The next few days were the same, wake up, have breakfast, wait for an hour for the food to digest, train/spar, eat lunch, wait another hour, train/spar, eat dinner, have some well-earned family time, and sleep (with a few exceptions of Neji accompanying Hizashi to the main house). One day, when Hanara woke up, she felt different. She had a sick feeling in her gut and she immediately realized that today, Hizashi was going to sacrifice himself. Today, the man who helped her get over Hiashi-sama's abandonment, the man who gave her a third chance at a family, the man who was the best father ever, was going to die.

And Hanara couldn't do a thing about it.

Hanara shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind of such depressing thoughts. She knew that he would die and tried to not get attached but clearly, that didn't work. The only thing she could do now make today the best day of Hizashi's life but how exactly could she do that? Mentally, she was 17 but to everyone else, she was just a three-year-old. What could she do that would change Hizashi's plans? Well, she _could_ beg and throw a tantrum so that he'd stay home but that wouldn't get him to stay at home the entire day. _' Oh just give up Hana, saving Neji from becoming a complete jerk is the only thing you can do. You don't even know the entire story, maybe this happened for a good reason!'_ she thought to herself as Hizashi walked into her bedroom.

"Hey, Father?"

"Yes, Hanara."

"You know I love you right? You and Neji helped me a lot and gave me a home when you didn't have to and I appreciate that."

Hizashi crouched down so that he was Hanara's height and said, "Hanara, if anything, you helped us. You brought so much happiness into this house and you let Neji have someone his age that he could rely on so if anything, I should thank you."

"I love you," Hanara said as she ran to Hizashi and wrapped her arms around him.

Hizashi chuckled as he hugged her back, "Where has this come from?"

"I- I don't know what I would do if I lost you and Neji too."

"Don't worry sweetie, even though I would probably die before you, your brother will always be there."

Hanara internally sighed, he really _was_ going to do it today, "Okay Father."

"I have to go to the main house now, okay?"

"Please, can't you go a bit later, like after dinner?"

"Nara, you know these meetings can't be held up."

"You know just as well as I do that those aren't clan meetings! They rarely invite branch members and whenever they do it's always the older ones!" Hanara exclaimed as she tried to pull up her inner toddler by stomping her foot.

"Hanara, I'll admit that it really isn't a clan meeting but it's an important meeting nonetheless."

"But Father, you're rarely home anymore! Neji and I miss you!"

"Hanara-"

"Please, Father!"

"Oh alright," Hizashi sighed.

"Neji! C'mon out of your room! Father's going to spend the entire day with us!" Hanara yelled at the top of her lungs.

"Really! Yay!" Hanara heard Neji scream as he walked into her room. She smiled. Hanara was going to miss this happy, cheerful, and optimistic version of Neji. The side of him that only Hizashi was able to bring out, the side of him that died the night that Hizashi did. _'Gosh Hana, can you be anymore pessimistic?'_

"Father, you can watch Hanara and I spar, she's gotten really good! She's even mastered 8 Trigrams now!"

"But I _just_ taught you how to strike with chakra," Hizashi exclaimed.

Hanara merely smiled

"Okay, let's see how good you are. Do it on me, I'll dodge but I won't attack," Hizashi said, as he walked down the stairs and towards the backyard that doubled as a training ground. Unlike the houses meant for the main family, the branch family members did not own any sort of training room.

"Okay! Neji, you've gotta see this!" Hanara said as she ran after Hizashi.

"Are you ready Hanara?" Hizashi asked as he got into his stance.

"Yep!"

"Three..... two....... one," Neji called out.

"Byakugan," Hanara said, activating her dojutsu, "Gentle Fist Art: 8 Trigrams, 64 Palms," Hanara yelled as she ran towards Hizashi.

"2 Palms!"

Hanara tapped Hizashi's chest and stomach with the tips of her fingers, using two short but large bursts of chakra to shut of those points as well as push him back.

"4 Palms!"

Hanara attacked Hizashi's arms twice before the man attempted to dodge which made Hanara use her elbows to hit the two other points on his right arm.

"8 Palms!"

Hanara's hits got quicker and more powerful as she continued to pummel the man who was starting to regret saying that he wouldn't attack.

"16 Palms!"

At this point, Hanara had Hizashi backed up against a tree, forcing him to take each hit by himself.

"32 Palms!"

Hanara was enjoying herself now while Hizashi was dodging like his life depended on it. His efforts weren't in vain though, Hanara had hit the tree twice because of them.

"64 Palms!"

Hanara had to jump and get on a branch near Hizashi's head so that she could reach his shoulders and block some chakra points over there.

"Wow! That's so cool," Neji exclaimed, "You're doing it way better than me now!"

"We need to see if it worked first, Neji," Hanara responded before turning to Hizashi, "Was that effective? Can you use your chakra?"

"Let's see, I'm going to try to use chakra to hit this tree," Hizashi replied.

He used his two fingers to hit the tree and said, "Yep, I couldn't use my chakra. You've perfected this technique Hanara! But since that means I can't train you today, why don't we spend the day in the village?"

"Yeah! That'll be fun," Neji said.

"I've always wanted to spend a full day in the village," Hanara said.

"Okay, it's settled then. Today we are going to the village." Hizashi said, walking to the front of the house.

_ Time skip to that night: _

Hanara and Neji were currently laying down on Hanara's bed after a long, fun, day in the village. They went to some weapon shops, browsed through some clothing stores for Hanara, got Yakiniku Q for lunch, and so much more! Now, they were waiting for Hizashi to get back from the main house.

"Hey Hanara, why do you think Father is taking so long?"

"I don't know Neji. Maybe he's taking so long because he had to catch up with all the stuff he missed out on today."

"Yeah, maybe."

"We should sleep, we shouldn't be up this late. I'm sure Father will be home in the morning," Hanara said, lying through her teeth.

"Yeah. Goodnight Sis," Neji replied as he left the room.

Hanara smiled sadly. She hoped that she made Hizashi's last day the best day of his life.


	6. He's DEAD!

The next day, Hanara woke up to Neji shaking her.

"Sister, sister! Father isn't home!"

"What!" _'I knew it would happen but I still didn't want to believe it.'_ Hanara thought sadly.

"Yeah, is the bed isn't messed up either, I don't think he came home!"

"Neji, we have to get ready fast. We're going to the main house. Father was there last, they should know where he is," Hanara replied in a calm voice.

"Okay," Neji responded, running out of her room.

Hanara ran to the bathroom, took a fast 5-minute shower, brushed her teeth, ran back to her room, put on the first set of clothes she found, wrapped her forehead with bandages, checked the mirror to make sure that her bangs covered her bandages, and met Neji at the door.

"I don't know the way to the house so you'll have to show me," Neji told Hanara.

"Okay, follow me," she said as she ran towards her house.

Once the children got there, Hanara banged on the door and yelled, "Hiashi-sama, Yuki-sama, one of you please answer the door!"

"Um, Hana, I don't think banging on the door and yelling at the top of your lungs will make them want to listen to us," Neji, ever the practical one said.

"Oh... that's true." Hanara replied as she rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.

The door opened to reveal Yuki-sama, "Hanara-san? Neji-san? What are you doing here?"

"We would like to know if you know where Father is, Yuki-sama," Neji replied.

"Hizashi-san? _Oh!_ Hizashi san," she exclaimed as her eyes widened, "You both better come on in. I'll get Hiashi. HINATA! PLEASE TAKE OUR GUESTS TO THE LIVING ROOM!"

"I know my way to the living room," Hanara muttered bitterly under her breath as Yuki went up the stairs, "or have you forgotten that I'm your daughter too?"

Neji must have heard her because he grabbed her hand and squeezed it, "Just bring us to the living room Hinata-hime will probably realize we're there anyway."

Hanara shook her head and whispered, "If they realize I remember they'll think I care."

"But you do!"

"And they'll never need to know that."

"But-"

"Oh look! Hinata-hime is here!" Hanara interrupted loudly.

"Sister, don't you know your way to the living room," Hinata asked.

"If you mean me, I don't know my way to the living room nor have I ever had a sister, Hinata-hime. You must have confused me for someone else," I replied, keeping my voice as emotionless as my three-year-old body would allow it.

Neji looked at Hanara with a confused expression on his face and, Hanara being Hanara, decided to avoid looking at him.

"Oh... okay. H-Here, follow me," Hinata said as she made her way to the living room.

When the children got there they saw that Hiashi was already there waiting for them.

"Hinata, you may go upstairs now," Hiashi said.

"O-Okay."

Hiashi then turned to Neji and Hanara, "I have some news and you two may not like it."

"Can you please tell us where our father is," Neji asked Hiashi.

"Well... you see.... your father is dead."

"I'm sorry _what?_ " Hanara asked, hoping she sounded shocked enough.

"I am sorry to inform you that Hizashi-san is dead. He was killed by the Cloud nin in replacement for me to protect the byakugan."

"No. No, no, no, no _no_ ," Neji exclaimed as he put his face in his hands.

 _'I knew he was going to say it but actually hearing it from him makes it seem all the more real. I can't just think of them as characters now. They're real humans, people with family members, people that feel actual emotions. Thinking that they're not real isn't going to make me feel any better.'_ Hanara thought as she squeezed her eyes shut.

"I-I see... Neji and I better get going now." Hanara's voice cracked as she grabbed Neji's hand and practically ran out of the house.

The moment the children were off the property, Hanara hugged Neji, feeling the sobs that were causing his body to shake.

"He can't be dead! He just can't! He was just at home yesterday, training you and taking us out to the village for a day full of fun. He was fine too, nothing was off about him! How could he have been killed," Neji exclaimed.

"I-I don't know Neji, I don't know," Hanara replied as she slowly allowed some tears to fall.

 _'Liar,'_ a voice in Hanara's head spat, _'You knew exactly what was going to happen and you didn't even try to stop it.'_

 _'How could I?'_ Hanara argued with herself before mentally shaking her head. Arguing with herself wasn't going to do her much good. What's done is done and there isn't anything she can do about it.

"Neji, we should probably go home now," Hanara said softly.

"Oh yes, we probably should." he agreed, attempting to wipe away all evidence that he was and still is crying.

Hanara slowly walked in silence back to her home with Neji to her right. Once there, both children shut themselves in their respective rooms to think. Neji's thoughts were made up of destiny, how he would ultimately never be able to escape his fate, how he would almost definitely die for the main household as he was certain his father did. Hanara's thoughts on the other hand? Well.... you'll just have to see for yourself.

* * *

Hanara was pacing in her room; head in her hands.

_'So Hizashi is dead. That means I'm not some psycho that just thinks that they know the future and that they've been reborn. This is all very real and some sort of war is gonna happen and imma probably have to fight in it. I can't slip up and let everyone know that I know things but that's going to be hard. Ughhhh. I appreciate the knowledge that you've given me by forcing me to watch random battles but seriously Sharon, couldn't you have been obsessed with some other show? I swear I know some of these people's lines off by heart!'_

"Now... I have to make a timeline of sorts; a book or something that will let me remember the main events of this sto– well my life," Hanara muttered under her breath as she looked around her room for a scroll, "I'll probably have to write this in English or Spanish or French too, just in case this gets found. Let's hope the only language here is Japanese."

As Hanara finally found a scroll, there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it," Hanara yelled from her room.

She ran down the stairs and looked through the peephole to see Hikaru. _'Hmm... wonder what he's doing here.'_ Hanara thought, _'Well I better let him in.'_

Hanara opened the door to see Hikaru rush into the living room.

"I have to tell you something about Hizashi-sama, Neji too," he said.

"Can't it wait? We just found out he was dead half an hour ago! Can't we grieve?"

When she saw Hikaru's shocked expression, Hanara realized how it must have looked. A three-year-old using words like grieve? That doesn't happen every day. _'Hana, you have to act like a child, not a seventeen-year-old!'_

"No, it cannot wait. Hiashi-sama said that you must be told immediately."

"Oh... I guess I'll go get Neji then," Hanara replied as she walked up the stairs. She would have offered to make tea or something but she doubted she would even be able to reach the counter.

Hanara knocked on Neji's door and heard a soft, "Come in, sis."

"Hey Nej, do you remember Hikaru?"

"Yes."

"He's here now and he said he has to tell us something about... Father."

That was enough to start the waterworks for Neji.

"Neji, we have to go down now okay? We shouldn't leave Hikaru alone like this." 

_'Damn, I sound like a freaking mom now.'_ Hanara thought.

"How are you so- so _okay_ about this. We'll never see Father again and it's all because of these rules, these rules that decided our fate the moment we were born!"

 _'Gosh, he's got the wrong idea. Just because I'm not breaking down externally doesn't mean I'm not upset about this at all! I do care about this but I guess I'm handling it better now because of how much I've already lost. My original family, my original world, my second family, and now Hizashi too. I can't tell Neji that though. I can't tell him that it all fucking feels unreal and that I feel nothing about everything right now. I can't tell him that I'm attempting to avoid everything about Hizashi right now so what. Do. I. Say?' _ Hanara pondered this for a while before realizing something: they are in a world with ninja! A world where children are expected to kill and avoid emotions on missions. She could tell Neji that she's trying to use this as a training experience to avoid letting emotions get the best of her during a mission! And so, she did.

"Oh... um... you've got the wrong idea brother. I'm just trying to use this as emotional training for when we have to go on a mission when we're ninja and something that makes me sad happens. I can't drop everything and cry then so I'm trying not to do that now. I am upset about Father. Truly."

"Oh, I see. That is smart of you," Neji responded through sniffles.

Hanara turned away from Neji so that he couldn't see her relieved face and responded, "We really should go down now. Hikaru-san might be worried."

"Right," Neji said as he wiped away his tears.

And together, both children walked to figure out what exactly caused their Father's death. Not like they both knew that though.


	7. Finding a New Home

"Sorry for making you wait, Hikaru-san," Hanara said as she met Hikaru in the living room.

"It's okay. I imagine you both are going through a lot right now."

"No, no. We are not going through anything at all! Life's been an amazing thing right now." Hanara muttered sarcastically under her breath.

 _'Just a few more years, Hana,'_ Hanara attempted to mentally soothe herself, _'A few more years and you can use all the sarcasm you want.'_

"I'm going to have to tell you quite a few things right now so if you were planning on meeting a few friends," Hikaru looked at Neji here and Hanara couldn't help but take slight offence. She may be just three but it doesn't mean she couldn't have any friends. Granted, she doesn't have any but she _could_. "You will have to cut them. First, Hiashi-sama feels that you should know the reasoning behind Hizashi-sama's death."

Here Hikaru decided to pause and Hanara took this as an opportunity to pull Neji onto a couch that was opposite to Hikaru.

"W-What was it, Hikaru-san?" Neji asked.

"You remember Hinata-sama's kidnapping, do you not?"

 _'Remember it? I was fucking hyperventilating because of it!'_ Hanara thought.

"Uh... yes, I do," Neji replied, thrown off by the sudden topic change.

"Hiashi-sama had killed the kidnapper, causing a lot of problems for the Leaf because of the Leaf-Cloud alliance that was just signed."

"Why would that cause _us_ problems? It's pretty clear that the Cloud nin were the ones who broke the alliance, not us," Neji exclaimed.

"The Cloud nin must have found a way to use it against us. Politics can be pretty weird." Hanara replied.

"Oh." 

"Hanara-san is quite right," Hikaru said, "The Cloud ninja found a way to make us seem guilty, I don't know all the details so I can't say how. They were demanding Hiashi-sama's head, they wanted a life for a life. However, because Hiashi-sama doesn't have the Curse Seal, the byakugan could have gotten into the Cloud's hands. Therefore, to protect the byakugan, Hiashi-sama sent Hizashi-sama to the Cloud ninja... and then, he was killed."

Hanara, seeing Neji's anger, held his hand in an attempt to lessen his anger. Now was not the place for Neji to lose his temper and shout many _impolite_ things - for lack of a better word - about the Main House.

Realizing that the children weren't going to comment, Hikaru went on, "The next thing Hiashi-sama wanted us to discuss was your living situation, you can't be living all alone and you are far too young to be working for Hiashi-sama so, hearing this, I went to Hiashi-sama and asked if you could live with me. He agreed on the condition that once one of you was enrolled in the academy, you would be back in this house and would take care of yourselves. If you don't want that, you could keep living by yourself, there's only about another year until Neji-san goes anyway."

Right. It was mid-September now, Neji had just turned 5 two months ago, on July 3rd. Hanara was honestly surprised that this Leaf-Kumo thing had taken so long, seeing as her birthday was way back in December, on the 27th. 

Hanara turned to Neji and once he nodded, she said, "Thank you Hikaru-san, it's very nice of you to offer to take in two children, especially since you have quite a lot of work. I know that Hiashi-sama can be quite demanding at times."

Hikaru gave her another weird look- probably because of her language- before shaking his head and responding, "I have known you since you were just a baby, it would be wrong of me to not give you a home."

"Not everyone thinks that way, Hikaru," Hanara responded, trying and failing to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

"Yes, it's very kind of you to offer your home to us, Hikaru-san," Neji said, finally calm enough to talk without yelling.

"Thank you," Hikaru said, smiling, "before I leave, I need to tell you 2 more things. The first is that tonight is the last day Hiashi-sama will allow you to stay here. Tomorrow, he will send in 2 people to pack your things and move them into my home. The second-"

"WHAT!" That was surprisingly the outraged cry of _Neji_. The usually calm, polite, happy, child was now fuming, "They can't force us out of our own home with just a day's warning!"

Hanara glared at Neji and snarled, or well, did the three-year-old equivalent, "They've done worse, remember Neji?"

That succeeded in silencing Neji, allowing Hikaru to continue, "The second thing is that Hizashi-sama's funeral will be next week. It will be a short thing, with only his direct relatives. So in short, only one speech, which will be made by my mother, and Hiashi-sama, Hinata-sama, Yuki-sama, you, and Neji-san. Hiashi-sama might invite Hizashi's teammates but that will probably be the list.

"Okay, thank you Hikaru-kun," Hanara responded.

"It's no problem," Hikaru smiled, not missing the new honorific, "I'll be going now."

* * *

**_ The next day: _ **

Hanara was startled awake due to the sound of her doorbell ringing. _'Is it time already?'_ Hanara thought. It was because she then heard the door opening -probably by Neji- and Hikaru's voice being added to the soft sounds Hanara was hearing in the house. Resigning herself to the fact that she couldn't go back to sleep, Hanara slowly got off her bed and made her way to the washroom.

Once she was finished, Hanara walked into her room only to see that nearly everything that she would need (minus the furniture) was packed away. Everything minus a set of clothes, which she put on before rushing downstairs.

"Good, you're here. Now, we need to get going, my mom is excited to meet you." Hikaru said to Hanara.

"Oh, right. Thank you for doing this Hikaru-kun." Neji said

"It's no problem. Now come on." Hikaru replied as he slipped on his sandals and opened the door.

"Right," Hanara said as she and Neji copied Hikaru and followed him out the door.

The two children watched as Hikaru locked the door (" _Where did he even get the key???")_ and followed him as he made his way to his home. They both looked back at the house, watching it get further and further away until it was out of sight.


	8. Teams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning before you get confused, I'm dropping all the suffixes minus sensei.  
> Also, since I didn't put it earlier, here's the disclaimer for the whole story: I don't own Naruto, Kishimoto does.

It had been 7 years since Hanara and Neji had been forced to leave their home and live with Hikaru Hyuga. The children had looked up to him as an older brother during the short year they had lived in his home. Yua Hyuga, Hikaru's mother, was nothing but loving and kind. She had given both Neji and Hanara cooking lessons during their stay.

"How are you both going to live by yourself if you can't even cook?" she had exclaimed when Neji had informed her that he couldn't cook the rice. 

Even after Neji had started at the academy, Yua had found ways to help the two children. When Hanara and Neji moved back into their old home, they had found out that Yua had kept Neji's deceased mom, Ren's garden alive. On top of that, she had added fruits and vegetables to it so that the children wouldn't have to always buy food. Yua also gave them money each week so that they wouldn't have to keep relying on the plants even after they had told her that Hiashi was already doing so. In short, Yua was the caring adult the children desperately needed in their lives.

Hanara smiles softly, Yua was one of the few sparks of light in her life. Living in the Naruto world is stressful and Hanara found that out the hard way. Despite her efforts, Hanara could not give Sasuke a family. That boy was unapproachable even when he wasn't revenge obsessed and her being a female didn't help. He has it stuck in his head that all females are fangirls and so he avoids every female that comes up to him and soon, Hanara gave up on him. She wasn't going to give in to that reputation by going beside him every time she saw him. Pride is definitely one of Hanara's flaws.

Hanara sighed. Currently, she was in class and as always, Iruka-Sensei was late. Today was the day everyone who passed the graduation exams would get their teams and of course, she was exhausted. She had stayed up all night waiting for Neji to return from his mission. His team always returned the night before they were set to return and it drove her crazy. Don't get Hanara wrong, she knew she could sleep and just wait to see Neji in the morning but knowing Neji's team, they wouldn't have stopped for dinner and she was _not_ going to let her brother starve.

Hanara looked at the clock at the front of the room and sighed. It was 8:32 and it didn't seem like Iruka was going to get to class anytime soon. Uzumaki was already here instead of causing trouble for once, although everyone _was_ looking at him like he was crazy. _'HA! They should know that he would have passed by now! He's so unpredictable.'_ she thought before feeling another wave of sleepiness overcome her, _'Oh, fuck it, I'm sleeping now.'_

"Hey, Shikamaru-" she started, looking at her neighbour before realizing that he was sleeping. 

"Of all the people to sit next to," she muttered grumpily before looking at the third person at her table, "Hey Choji, can you wake me up if I'm not awake when Iruka-Sensei comes?"

"Sure Hanara, I have to wake up Shikamaru anyway."

"Thanks," she smiled as she folded her arms and put her head on them, falling asleep

Choji and Hanara were decent friends. The girl had seen him being bullied for his size one day when Shikamaru wasn't there and stepped in, scaring the bullies away. Ever since then, they hung out together when she wasn't training, forcing Hanara and Shikamaru to become friends as well. Hanara wasn't as close with the boys as they were each other but she could count on them to have her back and that was all she wanted. She didn't want to get in the way of their unbreakable bond and so, she often used her training as an excuse to bring them closer together. Another reason was their teams. Hanara knew enough about Naruto to know that the chances of her, Choji, and Shikamaru being on the same team was practically nonexistent. First of all, there was formation Ino-Shika-Cho to think about, then there was the fact that she was a Hyuga with the byakugan. That practically screamed tracker team. Of course, Hinata was already on one but they could put the two of them together... not that they would get along but they did that for Sasuke and Naruto.

"I WIN!"

Hanara was startled awake by the sound of two high pitched voices. She turned around to see Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno in the middle of a heated argument, no doubt about 'their precious _Sasuke-kun_ '. 

It appeared that Hanara was correct because Sakura said, "I won the race so I get to sit next to Sasuke."

"What do they _see_ in him?" Hanara whispered to the now awake Shikamaru, "He's emo, speaks in an entirely different language, is honestly mean, thinks he's higher than everyone, and has _hair that looks like a duck's ass!_ Seriously, why has no one questioned his hairstyle? At least pineapples are nice!"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and didn't answer. He probably thought it was too troublesome. _Jerk._

"Yeah right! My foot was a centimetre ahead of yours," Ino said.

"As if! My foot was _at least_ an eighth of an inch before yours," Sakura retorted.

Hanara sighed. Sakura had so much potential, she was Kunoichi of the Year. Granted, if Hanara hadn't been slacking off on her Kunoichi classes, that might not have happened but who needs to know the meanings of each and every flower? Sakura and Hanara had tied for the highest marks among the girls in each section other than Kunoichi classes and Taijutsu. Hanara had just scraped a pass with 61% (1% higher than necessary to pass) while Sakura had gotten the highest mark possible. However, Hanara dominated the class during Taijutsu only spars because of her fighting style.

The argument continued except now the girls were insulting each other.

"Billboard Brow."

"Ino Pig."

"Billboard Brow."

"Ino Pig."

"BILLBOARD BROW!"

"INO PIG!"

Hanara, finally having enough of their stupid argument yelled, "WILL YOU BOTH SHUT UP! I WAS TRYING TO TAKE A NAP HERE! IF YOU WANT TO SIT BESIDE YOUR _PRECIOUS SASUKE-KUN_ THEN GO GET THE SEAT INSTEAD OF YELLING RIGHT BEHIND ME!"

Both girls ran to the seat, pushing people out of their way and came to a stop in front of Sasuke.

"Can we sit beside you Sasuke-kun?" they both asked in unison, trying to seem as beautiful as possible.

That set all the other girls, save Hinata, off and they all decided to pester Sasuke too.

"You know what, I think he secretly likes the attention. I mean, they worship the ground he walks on. If he really wanted them to stop he would have told him by now, don't you think?" Hanara asked Choji and Shikamaru.

"Nah, just look at his face," Choji replied, "You can't fake that type of annoyance."

"Tr-" Hanara cut herself off by laughing. 

Naruto had jumped onto Sasuke's desk and _kissed_ him. 

_Kissed_ him.

All too soon, the boys pulled away and started gagging, much to Hanara's amusement. However, what happened next didn't amuse Hanara at all.

"Naruto," Sakura growled, shaking a fist.

She, along with all the other girls then proceeded to beat Naruto up.

Hanara growled. Naruto was already mistreated by the villagers, he didn't need this. She quickly body-flickered in front of Naruto, grabbed him and jumped behind his desk, causing the girls to fall to the floor.

"Hanara, what are you doing? Didn't you see him kissing Sasuke?" a girl with grey hair asked.

"I did actually, it was quite hilarious," Hanara replied.

"It was not! He kissed Sasuke! He needs to learn his lesson!" the girl exclaimed, lunging at Naruto.

"It was purely unintentional, or do you not know what that means," Hanara retorted, pushing the girl away and glaring, "Now, if you know what's best for you, you'll all back off. I was the best at Taijutsu for a reason, wasn't I?"

The girls slowly inched away from Naruto and nodded just as Iruka-Sensei walked into the room.

"Everyone, please take your seats," he said. Hanara walked back to her spot beside Shikamaru.

"Was that really needed?" Choji asked.

"I didn't do anything bad to them," Hanara said, shrugging her shoulders.

Shikamaru and Choji just sighed.

Once everyone sat down, Iruka said, "All right, I'm going to just jump into it and assign your teams, just remember that because there is an odd number of people, there will be a squad of 4. Now, squad 7: Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno-" 

Iruka gets interrupted by Naruto's cheer and Sakura's groan.

"and Sasuke Uchiha. Gr-"

Once again, Iruka gets cut off, this time by Sakura's cheer and Naruto's groan.

"Hey! Why does someone as awesome as _me_ have to be on the same team as teme?" Naruto exclaimed.

"Naruto, the reason you got put on a team with Sasuke is that you have the lowest scores in the class. To even it out, we had to put the best shinobi and kunoichi with the worst one."

Naruto turned red with embarrassment and growled while Sakura turned around to Ino and flashed her the peace sign. 

"I really don't get why he's so special," Shikamaru commented.

"Why is this happening? Ugh! Well, I don't want to be put on a team with _you_." Ino directs the last part to Shikamaru.

Hanara ignored Ino but inwardly smirked, Ino's definitely on a team with Shikamaru.

"Team 8: Hinata Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino Aburame."

Hanara let out a sigh. _'Good. I'm not on a team with her, that would have made things a lot more complicated.'_

"Team 10: Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara-"

"Hm. Looks like you're on a team with me." Shikamaru smirked.

Hanara giggled, _'Oh my god, the look on her face!'_

"Choji Akimichi-"

"Oh no. Not Fatty too!" she groaned just loud enough for the person behind her, Hanara, to hear.

So, Hanara tugged on Ino's hair hard enough for it to hurt.

"and Hanara Hyuga."

Hanara's eyes widened and she fell out of her chair. 

"Are you okay Hanara?" Iruka-Sensei asked.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine. I just have a question Sensei. Why am I on this team? Wouldn't I be better suited for a tracking team? This is more of an offensive team."

"The Hokage felt that your skills were more suited towards an offensive team than a tracking team," he replied shortly.

"Oh, okay."

"Now that that's done," Iruka said, clapping his hands together, "all that you have to do today is come back here at noon to meet your new sensei. You're all dismissed!"


	9. Team Ino-Shika-Nara-Cho Finds Out

** Last time: **

"Now that that's done," Iruka said, clapping his hands together, "all that you have to do today is come back here at noon to meet your new senseis. You're all dismissed!"

* * *

** Now: **

"All right, Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, follow me, we're going to be eating together," Hanara said as soon as Iruka left, "I don't care what you do when we're eating but we are eating together, _got it,"_ Hanara asked, glaring at them.

"Y-Yes ma'am," Ino and Choji chorused while Shikamaru merely nodded. _Ugh, that Nara was too lazy._

"Good," she said before changing her tone to a more happy one, "Anyone have any idea where to go?"

"Oh! We can go to the back of the flower shop," Ino said grabbing Choji and Shikamaru's hands, "Come on!"

Hanara sighed and ran after Ino. Yamanaka Flowers was quite close by, Hanara didn't understand why Ino felt the need to run when they could save their energy for meeting Asuma. When Hanara caught up to Ino, she was already at the door.

"Welcome to Yamanaka Flowers!" Ino exclaimed, pulling the door open.

"It's just like I remember," Hanara said, smiling softly as everyone walked in.

"You've been here before? I don't remember." Ino said. Even Shikamaru and Choji seemed interested. I never told them about my situation with the Hyuga clan and they never asked which is also why they never realized that I would have come here to place flowers on Hizashi's grave.

I decided to tell them the truth, "My father passed away and I used to come by here to buy flowers for his grave. I stopped when I started to grow my own."

You could practically see the confusion on Choji and Shikamaru's faces.

"But we've seen your father at the academy, Hanara," Choji said, remembering the time I pointed him out when he asked.

"I know you-" Hanara got cut off by a beautiful woman that looked like a black-haired, green-eyed, older version of Ino, who was coming out of a room that said 'Employees Only'.

"Hanara? Is that you?"

"Yamanaka-sama," she said, bowing, Shikamaru and Choji copying her.

"Shikamaru, Choji, Hanara, I've told you, call me Asa," Asa Yamanaka exclaimed.

"Mom, you know Hanara?" Ino asked.

"Yes, she used to come here every Tuesday for 2 years," the elder Yamanaka said, "Each week it was one of three flowers: red carnations, daffodils, or pink roses. It was quite cute seeing a 3-year-old buying flowers. I remember I used to put them in your hair remember?"

"I'm sorry I never came by." Hanara apologized.

"It's okay, I know you must have been busy with the Academy and all. Speaking of which, what are you doing here Ino? Aren't you meant to be at the Academy?"

"No, Iruka-Sensei dismissed us after announcing our teams and said to come back in an hour so I brought my team here so that we could get to know each other more. Can we go to the back?"

"Oh! This is your team? Of course you can go to the back! Do you need anything?"

"No Mom, we all brought our lunches, see ya!" Ino said, motioning us to follow her to the back entrance of the shop.

We walked out until we saw a field full of beautiful plants and medical herbs.

"This is where we get all our plants and flowers," Ino said, "We can eat our lunch here."

"Fine by me," Hanara said, taking out her lunch, "Say, Ino-"

She got cut off by Choji, "No wait, I'm confused Hanara, Asa said that you came by when you were 3 but Shikamaru and I saw your dad when you were 9."

Hanara's eyes widened, _'Damn it. I hoped they wouldn't notice. I mean yeah sure Shikamaru would but he would wait until I told him because it would be too "troublesome" to ask. To tell or not to tell the truth... hmm. They would find out anyway and according to what I remember they were all good people... I can't keep it bottled up like Neji either, that would turn me into a mean person... I guess I'll tell them then.'_

Hanara sighed, she hoped that the boys wouldn't take it too personally, "I wasn't lying. My father died but at the same time, my father was there that day." They all opened their mouths to protest but before they could, Hanara continued, "One thing that you should know before I continue is that the Hyuga Clan has an elaborate system in place to choose the clan head. They have a main family and a branch family, but if the clan head has more than one child, the other children get cast off into the branch family. The reason, or well the reason I was told, is that we need to protect the byakugan, our kekkei genkai, which is why my eyes look so weird. The way our clan thought was best was to place a cursed seal on all the branch members' foreheads when the clan heir turns 3 so that their byakugans would be sealed away when they died. However, the reason that the main family doesn't put it on themselves is that the seal is also used to torture the branch members to keep them in check."

Here everyone gasped.

"Um, Hana, I appreciate the lesson but what does this have to do with you Father?" Ino asked.

"I'm getting to it, you just need context," Hanara responded before returning to her story, "Anyway, biologically I'm Hinata-sama's younger twin so you can guess what happened to me when I was 3."

"They put the seal on you," Shikamaru said, staring at Hanara in horror.

"Yeah. You ever wonder why I have bandages under my bangs? But that's not the worst of it, the same thing happened to Hizashi Hyuga, my biological Father's younger twin, and Neji Hyuga, my biological cousin. After my _amazing Father_ put the seal on me, he practically disowned me. He said he was no longer my Father, Hinata-sama was no longer my sister, and my Mother -who is now dead by the way- was no longer my Mother. I never got to meet my sister, Hanabi, when she was born because Hiashi-sama thought that Hinata was too weak to lead the clan and was having trouble deciding between them. Luckily, Hizashi was kind enough to offer me a home, otherwise, I would have had to take care of myself in a random deserted house in the compound. Hizashi became a new Father to me, he treated me better than Hiashi-sama ever did. Anyway, the night of my third birthday someone tried to kidnap Hinata. Hiashi-sama killed him and it turned out he was the Head Cloud nin. That made the Cloud upset and they demanded Hiashi-sama's life. They said that they wouldn't sign the peace treaty otherwise. But obviously, Hiashi-sama is still alive so who did we send? My Father, Hiashi-sama's identical twin, Hizashi Hyuga." Hanara ended the story.


	10. Another Test???

** Last time: **

_"That made the Cloud upset and they demanded Hiashi-sama's life. They said that they wouldn't sign the peace treaty otherwise. But obviously, Hiashi-sama is still alive so who did we send? My Father, Hiashi-sama's identical twin, Hizashi Hyuga." Hanara ended the story with no emotion in her voice._

* * *

** Now: **

There was an uncomfortable amount of silence after Hanara's proclamation, only broken by the sound of the wind against the leaves and grass and the rustling of Choji's chip packet. Even Ino was uncharacteristically silent

"So.. um.. that's the story of my life," Hanara said in a false happy voice.

"Why didn't you tell us this earlier?" Choji asked while chewing a handful of chips, "Shikamaru and I could have helped."

"It wasn't important," Hanara said.

"NOT IMPORTANT???" Ino screeched, "IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT! YOUR CLAN IS UNBELIEVABLE!"

"Trust me, I know," Hanara muttered under her breath.

"I know it's a drag but we have to go and meet our sensei now," Shikamaru interrupted the girls' little staring contest, getting up.

Hanara shot Shikamaru a grateful glance as she turned to her new teammates, "I would really appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone."

"Yeah, yeah, we know," Shika responded, "Now let's get going."

Hanara was grateful that Shikamaru wasn't treating her any differently from before despite the shock he must have gotten (or maybe it wasn't a shock. The Hyuga didn't exactly keep their seal a secret). It was comforting to have some sort of normalcy from her friend, no matter how fake it was.

"Right," Choji said.

_ Time skip to when they're at the Academy: _

When the children walked into their assigned area, no one was there so they all sat beside each other on a park bench in silence.

A few minutes later, their uncomfortable silence was broken by the sounds of footsteps. Looking up, the children saw a fairly young man, who was in his late 20s by the looks of it, smoking a cigarette and walking up to them. They could already feel their eyes watering because of the smoke.

"Alright, you're Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi, and Hanara Hyuga right?" the man asked, coming to a stop in front of them.

Hanara gave a short nod, _'Isn't it obvious though? Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji all look like younger clones of their parents and I have the typical lilac-white pupilless eyes that give away my kekkei genkai.'_

"Okay, why don't we start with introductions," the man suggested after letting out a puff of smoke, causing the four kids' eyes to water, "I'm Asuma, your new sensei. Now you four have to say your name, one thing you like, and one thing you dislike. Let's start with you on the right, Blondie."

"Right! I'm Ino Yamanaka and as for who I lik-" she cut herself off and stared off into space dreamily, no doubt thinking about her _precious Sasuke-kun_ for a few seconds until Hanara lost her patience.

"Ino..."

"..." there was no response from the blonde girl.

"Ino Yamanaka, this is no time to be daydreaming about the _oh so great duckbutt_!" Hanara exclaimed, losing it. She never understood what was so appealing about Sasuke, not in her past life and certainly not now.

"Hey! Don't make fun of Sasuke-kun! He's amazing and such a great shinobi!"

Hanara sighed and shook her head, not having the patience for Ino, "Who knows, I might have been referring to someone else, you were the one who thought about Uchiha."

Ino's face slowly morphed into one of anger but before she could attack Hanara, Asuma-sensei intervened, "Ino, continue with your introduction."

"Oh right," Ino said as she slowly calmed down.

"Seriously, just one bad word about Sasuke and she blows up," Hanara whispered to Choji as he opened a fresh packet of chips.

"Mhmm," he grunted.

"I like flowers, I don't like..." she trailed off.

"You don't like..." Asuma prompted.

"Oh! I hate Sakura," Ino declares.

Hanara let out a sigh. She respected the shinobi Ino became in the future but this one was such a pain to deal with.

"Okay, Hyuga next." Asuma said.

"I'm Hanara Hyuga, I like my friends, I don't like people who judge others before hearing the entire story," Hanara said.

"Okay, you next," Asuma said, pointing to Choji.

"My name is Choji Akimichi, I like food, and I don't like hurting people," Choji said through a mouthful of chips.

"Ugh! Don't talk with your mouth full, Choji!" Ino whined.

Everyone ignored her.

"Alright, the last one?"

"Ugh, this is such a drag," Shikamaru groaned, "I'm Shikamaru Nara, I like laying down and looking at the clouds and I don't like doing work."

"Uh, right. That's all for today, come meet me at Training Ground Number 4 **(if it didn't exist now it does)** at 10 AMfor your test."

"Huh? A test?" Ino screeched.

"Only 9, or 10, if you guys pass, of the Academy's graduates will become genin. The Academy's test was only to weed out anyone who doesn't have a hope of making it as a ninja. So, I'm going to be evaluating your skills to see if you're fit to be a genin." Asuma responded.

"You guys better pass," Ino said, glaring at each of her teammates, "because I am not going back to the academy."

"Yeah, yeah," Hanara said, brushing her off, "I've gotta go home now, bye!"

And then she ran off, activated her byakugan and started her search for Neji so that she could tell him about her team.

_'It's... around 1 pm right now and judging from how Guy acted in the show, he's probably making his team train... hopefully, it's not-'_

Hanara's thoughts were cut off by a gust of wind that was caused by a man who ran past her. She whirled around to see that he was wearing green spandex. _'Bingo!'_ she thought, deactivating her kekkei genkai.Her celebration was cut short, however, when she was knocked over _by another person wearing green spandex._

 _'Dammit, it was laps around the village. Well at least one of his teammates ran into me, now I can finally meet Lee and Tenten,' _Hanara thought, _'Sharon always liked them.'_

"I am sorry for running into you Hyuga-san. I must go and finish my last lap." Hanara heard the boy say as helped her to her feet.

"It's fine," Hanara said, "you go continue training now."

That was all it took to make Lee run off.

_'That was Lee's last lap and Neji said that laps are the last part of his training routine so he should be done soon. Eh, it doesn't matter, I'm gonna crash and meet his teammates anyway just to annoy him.'_

"Byakugan," Hanara whispered, activating her kekkei genkai. She waited in a small shop until Lee was about 40 meters away and then she started to follow him. She decided that she wasn't going to hide when she got to their training ground. By the time she was there, their sensei was giving them a speech on... the power of youth??? And then he and Lee did the weirdest thing, they hugged each other, cried, and yelled each other's names while there was a beach background genjutsu thing.

Having enough, Hanara walked up to Guy-sensei, tapped him on the shoulder and asked, "Sir, are you... okay?"

A girl Hanara assumed was Tenten burst out laughing.

"Oh they're fine, they do this all the time," the girl responded.

Hanara shot the girl a look that said "they are not okay" before turning her attention onto Guy, "So you're my brother's sensei. It's nice to meet you."

She stuck her hand out to Guy, who finally let go of Lee and cleaned up his face, "Hanara Hyuga."

"I am the Leaf's Noble Green Beast, Might Guy," he said, ignoring her hand and instead, placing his in a thumbs up. He smiled and his teeth twinkled. _Twinkled._

 _'That's some sensei you've got there Neji,'_ Hanara thought.

"Neji has not mentioned having a sibling," Lee said.

"Yeah, he hasn't," Tenten nodded.

"When you train, you should focus solely on improving yourself," Hanara responded, "not on conversations. Besides, I doubt family is something you talk about. Anyway, you're done training right?"

"Yes Hana, our training for today is complete, we can go home," Neji said as he walked towards Hanara.

"It was nice meeting you Guy-sensei, Lee..." Hanara's eyes landed on Tenten.

"Tenten," Tenten smiled.

"Nice meeting you Tenten, bye." Hanara waved.

Once Hanara and Neji walked out of Team 9's earshot Hanara voiced her earlier thought, "That's some... _unique_ sensei you've got, Neji."

"Yes he is quite different," Neji responded, "what team were you assigned to, Hanara?"

"Team 10. My sensei is Asuma Sarutobi and my teammates are the Yamanaka heiress and my friends Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akimichi. I messed up the Ino-Shika-Cho formation of this generation."

"Fate has its reasons," was Neji's cryptic reply.

"Yeah well, fate better hope it's a good one," Hanara grumbled under her breath as the two walked to their home in comfortable silence.


	11. Pass or Fail

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Hanara's affinities are Water and Wind and she prefers Wind, just because it's easier to use because it's all around her. She found this out when Neji was in the Academy and she was home by herself. And no, she cannot combine them to create Ice Release because she is not a Yuki and therefore Ice Release isn't her Kekkei Genkai although, she did try. I have other ideas though...
> 
> She also uses the fans above for her Wind ninjutsu like Temari does (she stole that idea when she was going through her memories. That's how she knows the hand seals for her jutsus too). The fans are small enough to fit in Hinata's Shippuden sweater pockets, just so you know.
> 
> WARNING: Asuma Sarutobi is extremely OOC (in my opinion) and probably will be for this entire story.
> 
> Also, tell me if I'm making Hanara a bit too OP

Shikamaru and Hanara were laying in the grass with their eyes on the clouds, Asuma-sensei was sitting on a bench and smoking, while Ino, on the other hand, was sitting on a tree, glaring at the direction of Choji's home. Cloud watching, Hanara soon found out, was extremely relaxing. Just watching the clouds drift along with the breeze gave her a nice soothing sensation. She finally understood why Shikamaru liked it. Of course, when Ino Yamanaka is on your team, all relaxing moments will end, so when Ino jumped off of the tree she was sitting in and started yelling, Hanara wasn't surprised.

"UGH! WHERE IS CHOJI! HE'S ALWAYS THE LAST ONE TO EVERYTHING!" Ino yelled.

As if that had been his cue, Choji walked onto the training ground with a hand full of chips halfway towards his mouth.

"Hey guys, hope I'm not too late," Choji said through mouthfuls of chips.

Asuma-sensei let out a sigh and waved the children over to him, "Now that everyone's here, we can begin. I am going to test you through spars so try to get as many techniques you can use in them. There's no point in knowing 100 jutsus if you can't figure out an opportunity to use them. I will decide on whether or not you stay genin based on how you perform, got it?"

"Yes sensei!" they all chorused.

"Right. So the matches will be Shikamaru against Hanara and Ino against Choji. Shikamaru and Hanara will go first."

With that, Shikamaru and Hanara made their way to the middle of the training ground. The training ground was fairly simple, it was just a grassy area surrounded by some tall trees on every side, so they wouldn't disturb anyone too much.

"Okay, make the Seal of Confrontation..." Asuma paused and the two children made the seal, "begin!"

_'Shit,'_ Hanara thought as she dodged Shikamaru's stretching shadow, _'Of course, I had to go against the one with that stupid Shadow Possession Jutsu when I specialize in taijutsu. Can't risk getting too close but I don't want to pull out my Liquid Bullets, Air Bullets, or Wind Scythe Jutsu when I've got nothing else to back them up... I got it! I need a distraction so that I can get close enough to use my 8 Trigrams while he focuses on something else.'_

Hanara finally took her eyes off the ground and dropped a smoke bomb.

Using the smoke to her advantage, Hanara activated her Byakugan, found Shikamaru, and got into her Gentle Fist stance, dropping a few more smoke bombs.

_'Man I really need to learn the Hidden Mist Jutsu..._ _eh, can learn it later. Now, 64 Palms or 32 Palms? Which one will be enough? Hm.. if 32 isn't enough, I can always end the fight with an extremely fast and concentrated Air Bullet... it wouldn't take too much chakra so I won't collapse and I won't waste chakra trying to gather the air, unlike with water.'_ Hanara thought, once again dropping another smoke bomb, _'Okay, 32 Palms it is!'_

"Gentle Fist Art: 8 Trigrams, 32 Palms!" Hanara said, running towards Shikamaru.

By now, that was muscle memory for Hanara. She didn't even have to think about where the strikes were going after doing 64 Palms against Neji for so long.

"2 Palms! 4 Palms! 8 Palms! 16 Palms! 32 Palms!" Hanara yelled, firing off hits left and right at Shikamaru who was promptly sent onto the ground, chakra pathways cut off but otherwise, okay.

Apparently, while she was attacking Shikamaru, the smoke cleared because Asuma-sensei cleared his throat and said, "Okay, the match goes to Hanara! Now make the Seal of Reconciliation."

The two children did as they were told after Hanara helped Shikamaru to his feet and dragged him over to where Ino and Choji were sitting, Asuma-sensei following.

"Okay, Ino, Choji, your turn next."

Ino and Choji both walked to where Hanara and Shikamaru were fighting, made the Seal of Confrontation and began. Or more like, Ino began and Choji dodged. Ino kept punching and kicking Choji but he didn't do a single thing other than dodge.

Ino was getting frustrated, "COME ON, HIT ME, FATSO!"

Now usually, saying fatso was enough to set Choji off but even that wasn't gonna get Choji to hit her.

Asuma-sensei sensed that something was off about Choji and called the match off, "Ino, Choji, make the Seal of Reconciliation and come over here."

They did as they were told and walked over to Asuma.

"Choji, why aren't you trying to attack Ino?"

"I... I don't want to hurt her," he responded, eyes looking at the ground.

Hanara walked over and said, "It's just a spar, you won't hurt her too badly. You're not supposed to go all out."

"But I don't want to hurt her at all!" he responded.

"Okay, then what about you spar me?" Asuma-sensei suggested, "I have to see your skill level somehow. Otherwise, you can't pass."

Choji looked conflicted and Hanara could see why. Asuma-sensei was putting him in a tough position, choose to not break your morals and you and your friends won't be ninjas. On the other hand, he could break his morals and be a ninja along with his friends.

"O-Okay, I'll spar against you, Sensei," Choji said after a while.

They both made their way to the middle of the training ground, made the Seal of Confrontation, and began. Once again, it was one-sided. Anyone could tell that Asuma-sensei wasn't really trying to beat Choji. He was slower than the average genin, punched sloppily and had a horrible stance yet Choji didn't land a hit on him. Sure he dodged, but that was all.

Asuma-sensei stopped abruptly, "Choji, why aren't you hitting me?"

"I-I don't want to hurt you," he said softly.

_'Why am I getting reminded of the times Hiashi-sama started making Hinata-sama and I spar?'_

"Yes, and that's a good thing, but in the shinobi world, you will have to hurt someone when they attack you. You can't just dodge."

"But they're my friends and you're going to be my sensei, I can't hurt you!"

"You need to practice sometime, Choji. Look, I'm not going to make you hurt them now, but you need to get used to practicing on them soon. Otherwise, when a real battle comes along, you won't be prepared." Asuma-sensei smiled.

"Asuma-sensei, I'm going to fix Shikamaru, okay," Hanara said, sensing the Choji conversation was over.

"You can? I thought people have to let the chakra flow heal naturally."

"With the right amount of chakra, I can increase or completely stop Shikamaru's chakra flow when I hit his chakra points. My 8 Trigrams, 32 Palms hit 32 of Shikamaru's chakra points and stopped the flow there completely so in theory, if I increased Shikamaru's chakra flow in the same chakra points, the flow would be back to normal. So that's what I'm going to do now." Hanara said before striking the same points.

Once Hanara was done, she deactivated her Byakugan, "Chakra flow's back to normal," Hanara smiled as she and Shikamaru walked over to where Choji, Ino, and Asuma-sensei were sitting.

"Is there anything else any of you can do that you didn't demonstrate in your fights?" Asuma-sensei asked.

Hanara looked to Shikamaru who shook his head.

"I can do the Mind-Transfer Jutsu," Ino said.

Asuma-sensei asked, "Can you do the jutsu on me?"

Ino nodded and put her thumb, index, and middle fingers together while Shikamaru stood behind her.

"Mind Transfer Jutsu!"

Ino's body slumped and Shikamaru caught her. Meanwhile, Asuma-sensei said in Ino's voice, "Hi, you guys! This feels different, I've only ever done this to my dad..."

"I think you can let our sensei have his body back now, Ino," Hanara said dryly.

"Release!"

And then Ino's body immediately straightened, "How was that sensei?"

"It was pretty strong, I don't think you'll need much training on that. Anyone else has something they didn't already demonstrate?"

"I can do Human Boulder," Choji replied.

"Can you show us?"

Choji responded with, "HUMAN BOULDER!"

Choji's body got fatter and fatter until he was twice the size of a large yoga ball and you could barely see his neck. Then he started spinning on the spot faster and faster until he finally moved, crashed through 5 trees and fell into a stream. Or well, got stuck on top of a stream because of how huge he was. Of course, being the concerned teammates they were, everyone ran after him.

Choji shrunk down back to his normal size and Asuma-sensei caught him before he fell into the stream.

"Okay, we definitely need to work on the direction with that one," Asuma-Sensei said before turning to Hanara, "Do you have any techniques that you haven't shown us yet?"

"I do," she said hesitantly, "A few ninjutsu and taijutsu. The taijutsu isn't something new, it's just 64 Palms added onto my 8 Trigrams, 32 Palms. I'm working on 8 Trigrams, Rotation with my brother though," Hanara responded.

"Which jutsus do you know?" Asuma-sensei asked.

"Well, since we're right beside this stream I can use Water Clones, Liquid Bullets, Wind Scythe Jutsu, and Air Bullets." Hanara replied, "But that's it."

"You can use elemental jutsus?" Asuma-sensei asked, shocked. It made sense, most new genin don't know that much, but then again, she was a 25, almost 26-year-old clan kid so she grasped things better.

"Yeah, I can show you them."

"Go on, I need to see what level they're at."

Hanara put her hands in the tiger seal, "Water Style: Water Clone Jutsu."

A perfect version of Hanara appeared on the stream and then walked off it to go beside Asuma, who poked it before slashing a kunai through its stomach.

"Do the Water Bullet next," Asuma said.

_'Okay. Tiger.'_

"Water Style: Liquid Bullet," a jet of water came out of Hanara's mouth and knocked down a tree directly across from her. _That_ technique had taken ages for her to master...

"I'll do the Air Bullet next."

_'Bird.'_

"Wind Style: Air Bullet," a gust of wind in the shape of a cylinder was spat out of Hanara's mouth and it too knocked over a tree.

"The next one is my personal favourite, although it eats up a lot of chakra," Hanara said as she pulled out two purple fans from the holsters strapped on her legs, "you might want to stand back."

Hanara held one fan in each hand, brought them both to the left side of her, and swung her fans, "Wind Style: Wind Scythe Jutsu!"

A huge gust of wind was made by Hanara's twin fans, cutting up and even knocking down trees. Even though Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, and Asuma all moved back when she warned them, they were pushed back. After a minute or two, the wind finally died down.

"That was.... impressive," Asuma-sensei said, "all of you have proved that you are not worthy..." he trailed off and everyone started panicking.

_'Seriously,'_ Hanara thought, _'I did freaking C rank jutsus. If he doesn't let us pass I will seriously complain to the Hokage,'_

"Of staying in the Academy!" Asuma-sensei smiled, "You all pass!"


	12. Chunin Exams? Already?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If Hanara pours chakra into her fans, they increase in size and vice versa

D ranks were horrible. And they were all Team 10 did for the next two months besides training.

Needless to say, those were the most boring 2 months of Hanara's life. All they did for training were battle strategies and chakra control exercises. She won't deny that the training didn't help, because they did. They allowed her to create 2 water clones instead of just one and they made all her techniques even more destructive. It even helped her with the team's only defensive technique, 8 Trigrams, Rotation, although Hanara's Wind Scythe Jutsu could do the same thing while attacking, so that made it pretty useless.

Anyway, right now Hanara was heading to Training Ground 4 for training. She was really happy that she was on Team 10. It was the only team with a sensei that didn't make the genin wake up before 9 AM. She walked through the now-familiar route to the training ground. Once she got there, she ran straight to Asuma-sensei. She had thought of a really good way to combine her Wind and Water affinities (no, not to create Ice Release, she had already given up on that idea), and hoped that he would have some advice. He was a Wind Style user after all.

"Good, you're here Hana. I have some news for all of you. Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, come here," Asuma-sensei said. Was it possible to be cut off before you even open your mouth? Because that's what Hanara felt had just happened to her.

"What is it Sensei?" Ino asked curiously. Out of the four of them, Ino was the most driven. Her rivalry with Sakura had made sure of that.

"I have recommended you four for the Chunin Exams. They're happening tomorrow," Sensei dropped the bomb.

"The Chunin Exams? Yes! Now I can finally show up Billboard Brow!" Ino yelled.

"Ugh, the Chunin Exams? This is going to be such a drag."

That was Shikamaru.

"Well... if we say no, Ino will make us say yes anyway so why not?" Choji said.

"Aren't we supposed to enter in teams of 3 though?" Hanara questioned, "We're a team of 4."

"I spoke to the Hokage about it. He said it's fine to have you as a team of 4 because although there are plenty of advantages, there are also plenty of disadvantages." Asuma-sensei replied.

"Oh, okay," Hanara nodded. _'I knew hiding my elemental jutsus from people would be useful! Now if I go against any Hyuga that might be in the exams, I'll have something up my sleeve!'_

"Guys," Hanara turned to the Ino-Shika-Cho trio of her generation, "just don't make me use any of my elemental jutsus unless it's completely necessary. The third round is some sort of tournament and I don't want people knowing my affinities."

They all nodded in affirmation.

"So, assuming all of your reactions meant that you will take part in it, you will have to go to the Academy at 11 AM tomorrow, sign some forms, and start the first stage of the exams," Asuma-sensei said.

"Okay Sensei," the four children said before turning around to leave.

"Oh, and Hanara?" Asuma asked, sounding sheepish.

"Yes, Sensei?"

"Could you tell Konohamaru to go to the Hokage's office? Lord Third wants to speak to him about his recent test scores."

"Okay Sensei," Hanara sighed and nodded, "You need to learn to look for people on your own though. You keep asking me!"

"Yeah, yeah. But really, your Byakugan makes it so much easier for you to look for them. Why should-"

"I'm going now, bye Sensei!" Hanara said quickly, cutting her sensei off before a rant started.

And with that, Hanara went into the middle of the village, turning on her Byakugan as she ran.

_'Seriously, does Sensei have to send me after Konohamaru all the time? Where is that troublemaker this time...'_ Hanara sighed and turned left at a corner, _'Having a 40m range sucks sometimes... Oh! I see Konohamaru now.... wait, is he floating? No, he's being held up by his collar! I have to get there now!'_ Hanara thought, breaking into a run.

She reached there just in time to see Naruto get pushed back by chakra strings that lead to the boy holding Konohamaru while Sakura, a blond girl with _4 ponytails_ , and two of Konohamaru's friends watched. Her eyes narrowed. _'That dude -no that Sand shinobi- must have some serious chakra control,'_ Hanara thought as she hid in one of the trees on the left of the scene

"You Leaf Village Genin are weaker than I thought," he said, forcing Konohamaru up higher.

"It... it hurts," Konohamaru forced out.

_'Shit. If Konohamaru is up there for 5 more minutes, he's going to pass out.'_

Hanara was going to intervene when Naruto yelled, "Hey! If you don't let go of him, I won't forgive you, ya fool!"

Sakura held Naruto in a chokehold and whispered something. It didn't take a genius to realize it was "You're the fool." and for once, Hanara had to agree with the pinkette. Seriously, what type of threat is "I won't forgive you"?

"You're getting on my nerves," the Sand dude drawled, "I don't like little runts anyway. On top of that, you're such a smart aleck for someone so much younger than me. It makes me just want to beat him up."

_'Damn it, I need to find a way to intervene.'_

"If anyone asks it's not on me, Kankuro," the blonde kunoichi sighed.

"After this little squirt, it's the runt that won't shut up," Sand dude said, raising a fist.

_'Well it looks like I just don't have to intervene after all,'_ Hanara smirked as she saw Uchiha aiming a rock at the newly dubbed Kankuro, _'if he didn't like Naruto, he'll hate Sasuke. This is gonna be funny.'_

The rock hit its mark and Kankuro was forced to let go of Konohamaru. Just before Konohamaru hit the ground, Hanara body flickered behind him and caught him.

"Nice aim Uchiha, although, I would recommend interfering _before_ he caused such a commotion. This _is_ the Hokage's grandson we're talking about," smirking as she saw the horror on the bully's face and Sasuke's now rolling eyes.

"And you," she turned her focus onto the two Sand shinobi as she let Konohamaru run to Naruto, "Unless you want to be disqualified from the Chunin Exams before they begin, I wouldn't attack civilians, especially not ones from the Hokage's family."

"Another two punks to tick me off," Kankuro muttered.

"Get lost," Sasuke said as he crushed the rock he was tossing in his hand, causing Sakura, and Konohamaru's friends to squeal.

_'Seriously, now Uchiha has fanboys too?'_

"Naruto, why can't you be cool like him," Konohamaru whined as Naruto sweatdropped.

Hanara rolled her eyes, _'Konohamaru, one dramatic, revenge-obsessed Uchiha is all the world can take.'_

"Konohamaru, don't be an idiot. I could have taken down that jerk faster than him." Naruto said defensively.

_'Oh Naruto, don't kid yourself. Frontal attacks like the ones you were attempting won't work on a puppet-master like him.'_

"Oi, come down here you little punk," Kankuro commanded Sasuke as he pulled on the bandages that no doubt wrapped whatever puppet he used, "You're the kind of smart-aleck I hate the most."

"Wait! You're not going to use the Crow are you!" Sand Shinobi #2 exclaimed as Sasuke jumped down beside Hanara.

_'Yep, it's definitely a puppet. Gotta prepare for a fight now,'_ Hanara thought, once again activating her Byakugan.

"Kankuro, stop that," a voice from the trees growled, "you're an embarrassment to our village."

_'Another Sand shinobi? How many are taking this stupid exam! Wait no, 3 per team... I'm stupid.'_

Everyone gasped.

"G-Gaara..."

_'So they're scared of this dude huh... let's see how strong he is,'_ Hanara thought as she turned her eyes to Gaara, _'... he's like Naruto! He's a jinchuriki! And not a nice one either from the looks of it. I guess I can see why...'_

"Have you forgotten why we came all the way here," Gaara asked Kankuro.

"N-No not at all, they started the whole thing, really. They challenged us-"

"Shut up or I'll kill you," Gaara snarled.

_'Yep, definitely not nice. Maybe even mentally unstable...'_

"Right s-sorry Gaara. T-That was totally out of line."

"I'm sorry for any trouble he caused," Gaara said, looking towards Sasuke and Hanara before turning to his teammates, "Kankuro, Temari, let's go. We didn't come to fool around."

"Wait!" Sakura yelled as they turned to leave, "You're not from around here and foreign shinobi aren't supposed to be in others' land. State your business."

Hanara sighs, "Idiot, don't you know the Chunin Exams are happening? I even mentioned it earlier! Why else would Izumo and Kotetsu let them in? They're lazy, not completely incompetent. And you're supposed to be one of the top kunoichis of our class..."

"Yeah, we're here for the Chunin Exams. Here are our documents," the girl -who's name was apparently Temari- said.

"Chunin Exams? I've never heard of them, believe it!" Naruto said, looking lost as usual. Honestly, what does Hinata see in him?

"Oh I'll believe it alright, that you're completely clueless," Temari said.

"You should, because he is," Hanara snorted.

"Hey!"

"Boss, the Chunin Exams are the exams you take to become a full-on Chunin," Konohamaru informed Naruto.

"Well, why didn't you say so? I'm so there!" Naruto said.

"Uh Naruto, she did say so. It's literally in the name. Chunin. Exams." Hanara stated dryly as the Sand shinobi turned around to leave.

"Hey you, identify yourself," Sasuke yelled, pointing at Gaara.

"Hate to break it to you, but they've used their names already. Have you honestly not been able to put a name to their faces?" Hanara asked Sasuke.

She was ignored.

"Who me?" Temari asked, blushing.

_'Not another fangirl!'_

"No the one with the gourd on his back," Sasuke said.

"Gaara of the Sand. And I'm curious about you as well," Gaara replied.

"Sasuke Uchiha," Sasuke smirked.

Hanara, having enough of all these boys' attempts to look cool, ignored the Sand shinobi and turned to Konohamaru, "Asuma-sensei told me the Hokage wishes to speak with you. Something about Academy scores? Anyway, do you want me to take you there?"

"Sure thing, sis!" Konohamaru exclaimed.

And with that, Hanara put Konohamaru on her back, jumped into the trees, and took Konohamaru to the Hokage's office, where Konohamaru would no doubt suffer yet another lecture in front of Hanara.


	13. The Heck? What's the Head of T&I Doing Here?

The next day, Hanara went to the Academy alone. Her teammates decided that it would be better to meet over there and Hanara didn't complain, she lived closer than they did and she didn't fancy having to wake up earlier than necessary. She had made it to the second floor before she saw a large crowd. Curious, she walked into the middle of it only to see two chunins who looked suspiciously like Izumo and Kotetsu knock around Lee and Tenten.

"Please let us through! We're supposed to be in there!" Tenten begs.

 _'Isn't this the second floor?'_ Hanara thought, _'What's going on here? Why does it say room 302?'_

"Byakugan," she whispered. She looked around and saw chakra everywhere. _'I see. It's a genjutsu. That must mean Neji's team is trying to hide their skill level. Might as well help them.'_

Suddenly, Hanara heard a thud. It seemed like Tenten tried to push her way through but instead was pushed back onto the ground.

"Hey, that was a bit harsh, don't you think?" Hanara called out. Now, Hanara knew that Tenten could handle herself but she was going to help them.

"Did you say harsh? Don't kid yourself. These exams are going to break you, we're being nice by comparison," the Izumo look-alike said.

"Some of you won't survive these exams, others will go crazy. Being a chunin is a game-changer. It's always life or death for them. If you're going to play around, you don't belong here." the Kotetsu doppelganger said.

"Chunin are qualified to lead missions. Every day, the lives of your squad are on the line. Delicate little girls like this one don't belong here," the other man said, gesturing to Tenten, "We're doing her a favour by stopping her from entering."

"Real nice speech," Sasuke said, going up to the scene, "Now both of you step aside and let me through, and while you're at it, reverse the genjutsu, we can see through it anyway. We're going to the third floor."

"So you noticed the genjutsu, huh?" Izumo look-alike said.

"Go on Sakura, tell him. I'm sure you noticed it first anyway. You have the best analytical skills on our squad. You must have seen this coming from a mile away." Sasuke told her. Huh. He might seem like a jerk but he can actually give someone a pick-me-up when they need it. Of course, one look at Sakura's face was enough to tell that she did _not_ notice the genjutsu.

"Huh? What? Oh sure! Of course, I noticed it! This is only the second floor!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Yeah!" Naruto piped up.

_'Dammit Uchiha, did you have to say it in front of everyone? Now we'll have more competition.'_

The Kotetsu look-alike releases the genjutsu with a hand sign before saying, "You noticed an illusion, so what? Let's see you try and deal with this."

The KLA moves to kick Sasuke and Sasuke was about to counter with a kick of his own but Lee intercepted them both with his hands. 

Hanara body flickered behind Neji and Tenten, "I was under the impression you were trying to keep your skill level under wraps?"

He sighed, "We were."

Neji then turned walked up to Lee, Tenten beside him, and Hanara behind them, "What happened to the plan? Weren't we going to play down our skill level?"

"I know but-" Lee blushes and stares at Sakura. 

Hanara sighed and shook her head.

Tenten cut him off, "It's over now, forget it."

Lee walks up to Sakura, "My name is Rock Lee, you must be Sakura."

"What?" Sakura asked.

 _'Oh dear God, this must be the scene Sharon was talking about. A bushy eyebrowed dude asking out a pink-haired girl... and getting rejected horribly but never accepting it,'_ Hanara giggled into her hand, _'After I see this though, I better get going.'_

Lee winks, gives her a thumbs-up, and says, "Be my girlfriend! I will protect you with my life!"

"No... way," Sakura responded, getting a horrified look on her face.

Everyone looked at her, confused. Even Sasuke!

"What?" Lee asked, his face falling.

"You're too unique for my taste," Sakura said in disgust.

"Hey you, what's your name?" Neji asked.

"It's common courtesy to give your own name before asking others," Sasuke said arrogantly.

"Sasuke, that's Neji Hyuga, Neji, that's Sasuke Uchiha," Hanara told them, before turning away. Hanara left the scene, walked up the stairs, and opened the door to room 302.

"Oh Hanara, there you are," Shikamaru said.

"Hey, Shikamaru, where's-" Hanara cut herself off, realizing that both Ino and Choji were right beside him, "All of you are here early for once?"

"It was a drag but mom made me pick up Choji. Something about not missing the exams if Choji was late. Apparently, Ino was thinking the same thing too since she was there." Shikamaru responded.

Then Kiba, Shino, and Hinata walked in.

"O-Oh, h-hello sister." Hinata stuttered.

Kiba and Shino looked at Hanara in shock. Or well, Hanara assumed Shino did seeing as the only feature of his face she could see clearly was his nose. _'I assume she did not inform her teammates about the horrific things the Hyuga clan does.' _she thought dryly.

"Lady Hinata," Hanara responded cooly before promptly turning away from Hinata. She hated doing this, she really did, but she had to act like she hated Hinata. It was the only way a four-year-old would respond to the situation she was put in. Besides, she had to act like she didn't know that Hizashi was not forced to go to the Cloud ninja.

"Hana... you can't do this every time you see her," Ino whispered. Contrary to popular belief, Ino did have a soft side. And well, Ino and Hanara got a bit closer after she revealed her past to Ino.

"Her father made my adoptive father go walk to his death," Hanara spat, "and then before that, I was banished from my home by my father because _she_ was born first. I think that's more than enough reason for me to ignore-"

Hanara was cut off by a bang that sounded more like someone throwing open the doors. She was correct of course. Someone, namely Naruto and his team, decided shoving the door open was a much better way to open a door rather than pushing it lightly.

Ino immediately let go of Hanara and ran up to Sasuke, hugging him and fangirling over him and being a general nuisance. You know, that girl is quite nice when Sasuke and Sakura aren't around.

Sakura growled at her, probably calling her a pig or something, but before Ino could react, Hanara pulled her back and whispered, "You know, Ino, we should work on some offensive tactics that we can use against Sakura. That way if we have to go against her, we can work together and attack her without getting in trouble."

That was enough to get her to calm down.

"Ugh," Shikamaru groaned, obviously hearing my plan, "I knew this was going to be bad but I didn't think it would be this troublesome."

"Hey look! All three stooges are here!" Naruto exclaimed, noticing Shikamaru and Choji.

"You know what pipsqueak- ah forget it, you're just a waste of time," Shikamaru said, walking back to Choji.

Hanara furrowed her brows, confused. _'Why the heck did Shika get mad for that?'_

"Well, what do you know, the whole gang's back together again," Kiba announced

"Oh, you guys too? Man, everyone's here for this stupid thing," Shikamaru said to Kiba. 

_'Didn't he notice me getting "mad" at Hinata for just being there? Ah, whatever... I suppose not everything I do is important to him although I wish he would pay a bit- hey where did that come from? He pays enough attention to me I'm one of his best friends!'_

"Yep, here we all are, the ten rookies. This is going to be fun, at least, for those good enough to make the cut. Right, Sasuke?" Kiba said arrogantly.

Hanara scoffs, _'Puh-lease, I know more than enough jutsu to defeat both of you, without my byakugan.'_

"Hey, you guys," a teen with white hair, glasses, and purple clothes walked up to the rookies.

_'He's setting off warning bells in my head. Why? Wait! White hair, purple, glasses... he's not Kabuto Yakushi is he? Sharon absolutely detested him and she's a good judge of character... I need to stay away from him no matter how nice he seems.'_

"You might want to try keeping it down a little. I mean, no offence, but you're the 10 rookies, right? Fresh out of the Academy? I wouldn't go and make a spectacle of yourselves. Just cool it, this isn't a class field trip." Kabuto Yakushi said.

 _'He does have a point...'_ Hanara thought, looking around.

"Well, who asked you anyway?" Ino countered from beside her, "Who _are_ you?"

"I'm Kabuto Yakushi," he said.

_'Yep, I'm staying the hell away from him.'_

"But really, look around you," he continues, "you've made quite the impression."

Hanara looked around to see legit everyone glaring at them and leaking killing intent, and rolled her eyes. _'It's gonna take more than that to intimidate me.'_

"You can't help it, I mean you're only rookies. You kind of remind me of myself a while back." Kabuto said.

"Kabuto, that's your name, right? This isn't the first time you've taken this exam?" Sakura asks.

"No," he says, rubbing the back of his neck," It's my seventh. Well, they're held twice a year so it'll be my fourth year."

Hanara narrows her eyes, _'If it's his seventh time taking the exams... he should be dead by now. If he's as bad as he says he is, he wouldn't survive after 3 exams, let alone 6! I know he was hiding something, but he's even more suspicious now.'_

"Wow, a veteran! You must be an expert by now!" Sakura said.

_'True... after all these tries, he really ought to have gotten used to it and pass by now.'_

"Yeah... sorta," Kabuto said sheepishly.

"You could give us all the inside tips!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Yeah, some expert, he's never passed," Shikamaru scoffed.

"Besides, there's something off about you," Hanara said, voicing her thoughts, "If you're as horrible as you say you are, you would have been killed in one of the rounds. You really must be one lucky person to not have been killed. Either that or you have really good teammates."

Kabuto stiffened slightly before relaxing again, "My teammates are really good. Anyway, they say seventh time's the charm." he smiled.

 _'They say? More like you say.'_ Hanara snorted.

"So I guess all those rumours about this being hard is true. Oh man, I knew this was going to be such a drag." Shikamaru groaned.

"Yeah," Hinata agreed, "It's a-almost enough to m-make you w-want to g-give up!"

"It's a fine time to start talking like that!" Ino exclaimed angrily.

"Hang on, don't lose hope yet! Maybe I can help you kids out a little with my Ninja Info Cards." Kabuto said.

"What are those?" Sakura asks.

"It's hard to explain, but these cards are chakra encoded with everything I've learned in the past four years," Kabuto explained. He set them down and took one off the top, "I've got over 200 of them. So you see, I haven't been completely wasting my time."

_'Why are you telling us this? It legit spells SPY in big, bolded, capitalized letters! I'm sure Shika's got that down too.'_

Kabuto took the blank card and started spinning it with one finger.

"What are you doing?" Sakura asked.

"I'm using chakra to make it reveal its secrets," Kabuto responded.

The card stopped spinning and he flipped it over to reveal a picture of Hanara on it with all her stats, "If you want, you can check to see if my information is correct. Sometimes it's incomplete and it's not always perfect." Kabuto said.

_'Smart. He doesn't know if he can check up on me later so he's doing it now. He must have gotten suspicious when I sorta accused him.'_

"Yeah, sure!" Hanara said brightly.

"Hanara Hyuga, rookie of the Leaf, graduated 2 months ago. Taijutsu and ninjutsu are above average, genjutsu is average, and kunoichi skills are below average. Mission experience: 42 D ranks. Special skills: Byakugan. Her range is 40 meters. She is a part of Team 10 along with Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, and Choji Akimichi. Her jonin sensei is Asuma Sarutobi," Kabuto said, smiling.

"All correct," Hanara responded.

_'At least he doesn't have my elemental affinities down on there... and he doesn't know that my kunoichi skills are rigged. I can do way better, I'm just too lazy to.'_

"Can you do Rock Lee of the Leaf and Gaara of the Sand?" Sasuke asked.

"Aw that's no fun, you've even got their names! Alright, Rock Lee graduated from the Academy last year. Taijutsu is above average and there are no genjutsu or ninjutsu skills to speak of. Mission experience: 89 D ranks, and 10 C ranks. He is a part of Team 9 along with, Tenten, and Neji Hyuga. His jonin sensei is Might Guy." Kabuto said. 

"Huh? Hyuga?" Naruto asked, confused.

"Naruto... what's Hinata's last name?" Hanara sighed.

"Oh! Hyuga!" he exclaimed, "You mean they're related?"

"Yes, Naruto."

"Okay, now for Gaara of the Desert," Kabuto says, "Mission experience, 8 C ranks, and get this, 1 B rank as a genin! His teammates are Kankuro and Temari. There isn't a lot more information on the guy, but there is this: he's survived every single mission and has never gotten a scratch on him."

Kabuto then proceeds to tell them how these candidates seem a bit stronger than before but Hanara isn't paying attention. Instead, she's thinking about Gaara.

_'Huh, his Tailed Beast must be protecting him... I think the Sand Village got the Sand Spirit... what was its name again? Something kaku. Not Shikaku, not Shekaku.... oh! Shukaku, right! Shukaku might be using the Sand or something to protect Gaara.'_

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm gonna beat every single one of you. Believe it!" Naruto yells, pointing at their audience, "Yeah, I feel a lot better now."

_'What. An. Idiot.'_

"Can you say that a bit louder? Didn't quite catch it," Kiba said sarcastically.

"You moron! Are you _trying_ to get everyone in this place to hate our guts or what?" Shikamaru complained.

Sakura held Naruto in a headlock, "Naruto, you idiot! Why did you have to go and say something like that? You obnoxious little- oh! Hey everyone, don't mind him, sometimes he says the weirdest things. He doesn't mean them of course, they just come out. He's got this psychological condition. He really should be on medication, you know."

She lets Naruto go and starts waving her fists and ranting.

"Some team dynamic they've got there," Hanara whispered under her breath to Choji.

Just then, Hanara saw two kunai heading straight for Kabuto, who dodged. It seemed like the Sound Ninja right in front of him, threw them. Kabuto smirks, but then his glasses break. _'The hell? He dodged!'_ She turns on her Byakugan and saw the chakra disrupting the air... but what did it do to his glasses? Kabuto got down onto his knees, vomited, and pressed his palms over his ears. _'Sound waves! The Sound shinobi manipulate sound waves. One good hit with a wind ninjutsu and they're done for!'_

"Huh, it must have hit him after all," Shikamaru said.

"No," Hanara whispered, "The Sound shinobi manipulate sound waves using chakra. Ingenious technique really, unless they're up against someone who manipulates the Wind."

"Alright, you baby faced degenerates, pipe down and listen up. It's time to begin. I'm Ibiki Morino, the proctor of your first exam, and from this moment on, your worst enemy."

The only thing Hanara could think of was, _'Ibiki Morino is the head of the Torture and Interrogation Unit and he's damn good at his job. What the hell is he doing here?'_


	14. The Tenth Question

Last time:

_"Alright, you baby faced degenerates, pipe down and listen up. It's time to begin. I'm Ibiki Morino, the proctor of your first exam, and from this moment on, your worst enemy."_

_The only thing Hanara could think of was,'Ibiki Morino is the head of the Torture and Interrogation Unit and he's damn good at his job. What the hell is he doing here?'_

* * *

Now:

Ibiki immediately takes charge of the room, "First, you candidates from the Hidden Sound, knock it off. Who said you could fight? Do you want to be disqualified before we've even begun?"

"Sorry sir, it's our first time. You could say we're a little... jumpy," the hunchbacked dude said creepily, not sounding sorry at all.

Ibiki scoffs, not looking convinced, "I'll only say this once so listen up. There will be no attacking or sabotaging other candidates unless permission is given by your proctor, which at the moment, is not given. Even if it is given, there will be no use of fatal force. This goes for the whole exam, unless it is _specifically_ said otherwise, got it?"

"No fatal force? That's no fun," the other Sound boy said.

Ibiki ignores him, "Now if you're all ready, we'll proceed to the first stage of the exam. First, hand over your paperwork to me, and I'll give you your number. Your number will determine where you sit for the written exam. Once everyone is seated, I will tell you the rules."

Hanara smirks as she waited in line, _'A written exam? It's like this test was made for us. Ino and I are both smart enough to do it well, and if I don't know the answers, I can use my Byakugan without anyone knowing thanks to my bangs. Then, Ino can cheat off of me with her mind transfer jutsu and give the answers to Shikamaru and Choji! This way, Shikamaru can be as lazy as he wants to be and Choji doesn't have to struggle. Yep, Team 10 is set!'_

Soon it was her turn to give in all her paperwork.

"Number 58," Morino muttered, giving Hanara a piece of paper with the number on it.

Hanara took the slip of paper and walked toward her designated seat, taking in her surroundings. _'Okay, Sakura's in front of me and Ino's behind me. I can cheat off of Sakura if I have to and Ino will have a clear shot of cheating from me. Huh, Neji's gotten the seat to my right! That's nice... at least he won't snitch if I use the byakugan.'_

"There are several rules to this test, so listen up," Ibiki snaps, bringing the attention back to him, "I won't be repeating myself or taking any questions. First rule: You are given 10 points from the start and there will be 10 questions in total. You are deducted 1 point for each question you get wrong. If you answer 3 questions incorrectly, you'll get 7 points in the end. Second rule: your pass or failure depends on the number of points you score as a team."

_'Good thing we've got a plan for that. Or rather, I do.'_

Here Ibiki was interrupted by Sakura, "WAIT A MINUTE! What do you mean... total points of the team?"

"Shut up, I said I wouldn't be taking questions," Ibiki said before continuing, "Now here's the most important rule. The jonin placed around this room are all in charge of making sure that none of you are cheating. Each time one of you gets caught, you will lose 2 points. If you get caught cheating 5 times... you're out. And in the case of one team member having 0 points... the entire team fails."

Nearly everyone's jaws dropped.

"By the way, the tenth question will be given to you 15 minutes prior to the end of this test. You have one hour. Begin!"

Hanara flipped over her paper and began scanning the questions. _'Odd... these questions aren't designed to be ones any normal genin could answer by themselves. The first five are okay but they get steadily harder and harder... it would be hard for some people to get an answer without- CHEATING! THE POINT OF THE TEST IS TO TEST OUR ABILITY TO GATHER INFORMATION IN TOUGH SITUATIONS! THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE HEAD OF TORTURE AND INTERROGATION AS A PROCTOR!! THAT MAKES SENSE!'_

Hanara put her hands under her desk and made a hand sign, "Byakugan," she whispered under breath, thankful that her bangs covered her forehead, making it impossible for people to know whether she was using her dojutsu unless they looked in her eyes. She was about to start copying the remaining answers off of Sakura when a kunai shot past her and onto the person beside Ino.

"Number 63, fail. Numbers 89 and 22, fail," a sentinel called out.

Hanara calmed herself and continued copying off of Sakura, _'They haven't got us yet...'_

Once she was done, she dropped the pencil on her desk and pushed her hair behind her ear, signalling Ino to use her Mind Transfer Jutsu. Being under that jutsu was an... interesting experience to say the least. It was like she was trapped in her own body, unable to do anything to it. She was quite glad that she was _on_ Ino's team instead of _against it_. 

Once she was released, Hanara decided to pull a Shikamaru and fall asleep. She had been forced to watch this episode (courtesy of Sharon) and knew that the tenth question was a trick to test your loyalty to your teammates and your ability to stay strong in tough situations. 

Sadly, Neji nudged her awake just as Ibiki said, "All right, listen up, I'm going to give you the tenth question. Before that, however, there are more rules you need to be aware of."

Suddenly the door is opened and in comes Kankuro.

"Ah, just in time. I hope that your trip to the bathroom was enlightening. Take a seat." Ibiki says.

Just before he sits down, Kankuro discreetly slips something to Temari.

"The following rules are unique to question ten so listen carefully," Ibiki continued, "Rule number one: Each of you is free to choose not to answer the tenth question."

_If we want to fail, you mean. It's the same in every exam, Ibiki. People already know this!_

"Woah," Temari says, "So what's the catch? Let's say we choose not to do it. What happens then?"

"If you choose not to answer, then regardless of your answers on the other nine questions, you'll fail, meaning your teammates will fail too. However," Ibiki smirks, "If you do take this question and answer it incorrectly... you will not only will you fail but be banned from ever taking the Chunin Exams ever again!"

_And here's where everyone goes nuts._

"Hey, that's bull man!" Kiba exclaims as he slammed his hand onto his desk, "What kind of bogus rule is that? There tons of people here who've taken this test before!"

"Then I guess all of you are just unlucky. I'm the proctor of this exam now and I make the rules. Of course, if you aren't confident and don't want to take it, by all means, go ahead. At least if you leave now, you can take it again. So, all of you that aren't going to take the tenth question, raise your hand. We'll record your number and then you're free to go. After that, I'll say the tenth question," Ibiki said.

For a few minutes, there was an uneasy silence.

"I'm out! That's it, I can't take it anymore! Asuka, Itsuo, I'm sorry! I can't do it!" a boy exclaims, standing up.

"Number 72, fail! Numbers 98 and 24, fail! You're free to go."

Then the boy and his teammates leave the room.

Apparently, the rest of the room took that as their cue because now there were a lot of shouts of "I quit!" going around.

 _'Idiots, the lot of them,'_ Hanara thought, _'They're obviously not cut out for the ninja life. Don't they know there's going to be sacrifice and risk-taking? If on a mission, someone takes your teammate hostage, you're going to have to choose between completing the mission and losing your teammate or saving your teammate at the risk of the mission!'_

Hanara focused her gaze onto Naruto, who's hand was trembling and on the verge of shooting up.

_'Naruto, you're better than this...'_

Naruto's hand shot up and he slammed it onto his table, causing Hinata to flinch at the sudden movement.

"Don't underestimate me!" he yells, pointing at Ibiki "I don't quit and I don't run! You can act tough all you want, you don't scare me! No way! I don't care if I do get stuck as a Genin all my life! I'll still be Hokage someday!"

"This decision is one that could change your life. If for any reason, you want to quit, this is your last chance." Ibiki warns.

"No way! I never go back on my word!" Naruto exclaims.

"Well then, I admire your determination if nothing else," Ibiki responds, "For those of you remaining here, there's only one thing left for me to do. That is, telling you that you've passed!"


	15. Professor Ibiki Morino Explains

_ Last time: _

_"Don't underestimate me!" he yells, pointing at Ibiki "I don't quit and I don't run! You can act tough all you want, you don't scare me! No way! I don't care if I do get stuck as a Genin all my life! I'll still be Hokage someday!"_

_"This decision is one that could change your life. If for any reason, you want to quit, this is your last chance." Ibiki warns._

_"No way! I never go back on my word!" Naruto exclaims._

_"Well then, I admire your determination if nothing else," Ibiki responds, "For those of you remaining here, there's only one thing left for me to do. That is, telling you that you've passed!"_

* * *

_ Now: _

"Hold up!" Sakura exclaimed, "What do you mean we passed? Where's the tenth question?"

Ibiki laughed, "There never was one. Not a written one, at least. Your decision to stay was the answer to the tenth question."

"Wait! So then you're saying the other nine questions were a waste of time?" Temari asked accusingly.

"No, no, not at all. In fact, the first nine questions had an important overriding purpose- to test your ability to surreptitiously gather strategic intelligence under the most adverse circumstances," Ibiki answered.

_'I knew it!'_

"Oh. Well that clears up everything," Temari sat down.

Ibiki obviously saw someone's (*cough* Naruto *cough*) confused face because he said, "Let me explain. You see, my objective was not only to test you as individuals but as a team and how well you function as a part of that team. That's why I scored you as a part of a team."

 _'Well, Team 10 is one of the best with teamwork,'_ Hanara smirked, _'And we have a_ ** _Yamanaka_** _on this team too. Your mind games won't work with us. Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji probably saw this coming from a mile away.'_

"I wanted to see how well you'd hold up under the pressure. The first nine questions were difficult as you might have figured, too difficult for any Genin to be expected to solve. I imagine many of you realized that you would have to cheat to have any hope of passing. The test was designed to encourage cheating. It almost demanded it. Of course, it would do you little good if you didn't have anyone to cheat _from_ so I hid two Chunins into this exam."

They waved at everyone and Naruto almost facepalmed at the fact that one was right in front of him. Sakura however, didn't hold back.

Naruto laughed and said, "Oh come on! I wasn't fooled for a second! You had to be an idiot to not see it, right Hinata?"

Hinata let out a giggle, and Hanara couldn't help it.

"In other words, we had to be _you,_ Naruto, isn't that right?" she asked.

"Hey!"

"Kidding, kidding, don't get yourself so worked up," Hanara sighed.

Neji shot her a look.

"What? It was so obvious that he didn't see it, I couldn't help it!" she whispered.

He sighed and motioned towards Ibiki, who had started talking again.

"Those who were caught at it failed," Ibiki continued, "Better not to cheat than to cheat clumsily."

Ibiki takes off his headband and shows his scarred, burnt, and bald head, "Information. It can be one of the most valuable assets in a battle. How well you gather intelligence can determine a mission's failure or success. Sometimes, you'll have to put your life on the line to get it."

_'And don't I know it. There are so many times that we finished a D rank faster because Shikamaru got lazy and gave us a faster solution or when we beat Asuma sensei in spars because Shikamaru outsmarted him. He only did that when it was getting late and he didn't want his "troublesome mother" to yell at him'_

"Of course, you have to consider the source. Information from the enemy will not always be accurate. Disinformation can be worse than no information at all. It can lead to the death of comrades and even the loss of a village. That's why I put you in the position to gather accurate intelligence. Cheat in order to survive. And that's why those who weren't good enough were weeded out, leaving you."

"Okay, but I'm still not getting this whole tenth question business," Temari called out.

"You're not? The tenth question was the most important one in the exam! Surely you realize that!" Ibiki exclaimed.

"Sure, but explain it anyway," Sakura backed up.

Ibiki sighed, "As I said before, the goal was to test you not only as individuals but as members of a squad. The final question gave you two choices, both difficult. You could choose to play it safe, forcing your squad members to fail with you, or you could choose to answer the question, knowing that if you got it wrong, you would never again be able to become a Chunin. It was a no-win situation, but it was also just the sort of situation Chunin go up against every day. For example, let me give you a hypothetical mission: to steal a document from an enemy stronghold. You have no idea how many ninjas the enemy has or how heavily armed they are. Furthermore, you have reason to suspect that the enemy may be expecting you and you are walking into a trap. Now, do you have the option to say that you would rather pass on this insane mission or say that my comrades and I would rather live to fight another day? Can you choose to avoid danger? No! Many missions can seem almost suicidal if you think about it. But you _don't_ think about it, you think about only the goal and achieving it through courage and discipline. These are the qualities required in a Chunin leader. Those who choose the safer of the two paths, those whose determination falters in the face of danger, those who would put their comrades' lives in jeopardy by worrying about their own, those who would save their necks at the price of sacred honour... will never become Chunin, at least, as long as I'm here. As for the rest of you, you have successfully answered the ten questions I put to you. You have earned the right to move on to the next step. You have passed the first gate. I hereby declare the first stage of the Chunin Exam complete. There is nothing left but to wish you all good luck."

"Congratulations Neji," Hanara said quietly.

"Congratulations Hana," Neji replied.

Then there was the sound of breaking glass.


	16. The Forest of Death... Spooky

_ Last time: _

_"Congratulations Neji," Hanara said quietly._

_"Congratulations Hana," Neji replied._

_Then there was the sound of breaking glass._

* * *

_ Now: _

A person had crashed through a window and into the classroom, ignoring the incredulous looks that were being sent her way. 

"Head up boys and girls! This is no time to be celebrating. I'm your next proctor, Anko Mitarashi. Are you ready for the next exam? Yes? Then let's go!" Anko exclaimed.

"Honestly, can't you read the room? You're early," Ibiki said dryly, looking like he was resigned to her methods, "Again."

Anko blushed. Huh. She reminds me of Naruto.

Anko scanned the room and said, "79 people? You let 26 teams pass? You must be getting soft, Ibiki."

"Or there could be a stronger crop of candidates this year," Ibiki retorted.

_'Ughhh. Of course,_ ** _we_** _get the harder than usual Chunin Exams,'_ Hanara thought.

"Hm. Trust me, they sure don't look it. By the time I'm done with them, there'll be less than half left," Anko snorted. 

"HUUHHH," Sakura exclaimed, "LESS THAN HALF?"

"This'll be fun," Anko said, getting a sadistic look on her face, "All right! So far you maggots have had it easy but things are gonna be different starting tomorrow morning. All of you are gonna meet me at Training Ground 44. Dismissed!"

**_~~~ The Next Day ~~~_ **

Hanara was standing in between Choji and Ino, rummaging through a small backpack she had packed the night before.

"Okay, so I looked up Training Ground 44 yesterday in the library. It's full of huge animals and is like a forest so I assume this will be sort of like a survival exercise. I only brought enough food and water for three days, so we better finish whatever it is that we have to do before then or get really good at hunting, cooking, and finding edible plants in three days," Hanara whispered to her team.

"That's smart," Ino commented, "Why didn't I think of that?"

_'Because, you didn't have random memories of a snake with pedo-like tendencies giving a young duck a hickey, in the middle of a forest popping up in your dreams once you heard of the Chunin Exams. Don't ask. I blame Sharon giving me a synopsis of every fanfic she reads for giving me these weird thoughts.'_ Hanara thought.

On the outside though, she shrugged.

"Woah, nice place!" Naruto exclaimed, "What is it?"

"This is Battle Training Ground 44," our proctor said, smirking, "But we call it the Forest of Death, and soon enough you're going to find out why."

"The Forest of Death?" Ino asked looking at me worriedly.

"Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that this is the training ground with the most amount of deaths in it?" Hanara smiled.

Team 10's eyes widened.

"But we call it the Forest of Death and soon you'll find out why," Naruto imitated, sticking out his butt, flapping his arms like wings, making his voice higher, and acting like an overall idiot.

"Do your worst," Naruto challenged, "You can't scare me away! I can handle anything!"

"It looks like we've got ourselves a tough guy," Anko said in a creepy voice. She took out a kunai and threw it close enough and fast enough to Naruto that it scratched his face and made him bleed, "You tough enough to handle this? You're not afraid, are you? Tough guys like you are the ones that leave their blood all over this forest."

Then suddenly she turns around and holds a kunai to a grass ninja. _'Sharon said something about snakes and grass? That the pedo then? No... pedo snake was a guy... WAIT! Pedo snake can inhabit new bodies! PEDO SNAKE ALERT! PEDO SNAKE ALERT! HE REALLY IS A PEDO! HE BE TAKIN OVER FEMALE BODIES! Wait... there are a lot of Grass ninja, we need to be sure this is the one.'_

"I was just returning you knife," the Grass nin hissed, holding the kunai with her creepily long tongue.

_'Okay, definitely the pedo.'_

"Stay away from that Grass nin, got that?" Hanara told her teammates, "There's something off about her. Stay away from Kabuto too if you can help it."

"Why?" Ino asked.

"I have a weird feeling."

"We'll try," Choji smiled.

"Why thank you Grass ninja. You know, I only recommend standing this close behind me if you wish to reach a premature end," Anko said in a falsely cheery voice that was as creepy as the tone she was using with Naruto.

"Apologies," Oreo hissed, "With the sight of blood and your kunai cutting my hair, I got a little excited. I mean you no harm."

"Seems like there must be something in the air..." Anko mused, "Everyone is so quick-tempered today. This is gonna be fun!"

"Now before we begin, you're all gonna have to sign this consent form, it's simple enough. There's going to be deaths this round and if you don't sign, it's gonna be on me! And we can't have that," Anko smirked, "Anyway, now to the test. Each team will be given a Heaven or Earth scroll prior to entering the forest. Once you enter the forest your objective will be to deliver your scroll to a tower located in the middle of the forest. However, before you deliver the scroll, you will have to get its counterpart. You can only pass this test if you deliver both the Heaven and Earth scroll inside. Here is the huge rule: You are not, by any means, allowed to open either of the scrolls unless you want to fail."

"What's in the scroll?" Naruto asked.

"You don't want to know," Anko replied, "Oh! And one more thing, the test has a time limit. You have five days to get to the tower with both scrolls. Otherwise... you fail."

"Five days out there!" Sakura exclaimed.

"But what about the food?" Choji asked.

"I brought enough food to last us three days, Choji. And I mean, us. So I brought enough food and the good type of food, food catered to our eating habits. We'll be fine," Hanara smiled.

"Right," Anko said, evidently ignoring our mini-conversation, "This test is also designed to measure endurance behind enemy lines. This is an exceptionally challenging test, and some of you won't be up to it."

Shikamaru raises his hand, "What if we want to quit halfway, can we do that?"

Hanara walked past Choji and bonked him on the head, "We won't need to do that, idiot, even if we run out of food, we can hunt. Besides, there's bound to be rivers in there."

"Of course not!" Anko answered, "If you're in the middle of a battle, you can't just tell your enemy, 'Sorry I quit.' Well, you could but you'd probably get killed."

"Oh great, this is gonna be a drag," Shikamaru sighed, massaging the area Hanara hit him.

_'You think everything's a drag Shika.'_

"Now, if that's all with the questions, let's get started! You can hand in your consent forms in exchange for your scrolls," Anko said, clapping her hands together.

Team 10 was the first in line. They all handed in their consent forms and got a Heaven Scroll in return.

"Go to gate number 18," the scroll giver said, "There will be a Chunin there to open the gate for you. You're not allowed to go inside until they open the gate.

They all walked towards the gate and while waiting, Hanara was using her Byakugan to check on whoever walked close enough in her range to see what scroll they had. 

"Team 7's got a Heaven Scroll, too," she whispered to Shikamaru and Choji as Sakura walked towards Ino, "That means all the Leaf genin have got Heaven Scrolls. Most of the Grass ninja have got Earth Scrolls. They must be giving them out based on villages. This isn't as random as they make it out to be."

She then realized no one was paying attention to her, instead opting on trying to keep Ino away from Sakura.

_'Do they always have to be like this?'_ Hanara asked herself as she gave a pleading look to the Chunin in charge of their gate.

Apparently, the Chunin felt bad for her because he intervened.

"Ahem, you might want to get to your gate," the guard said to Sakura, "They're almost done giving out the scrolls."

"R-Right!" Sakura said, getting out of there.

"Thank you," Hanara mouthed to the Chunin.

He shrugged, before widening his eyes.

"Well, we have to open the gates now, good luck!" mystery Chunin said before opening the gate and disappearing in a puff of smoke.

The children all stared at each other for a few seconds before slowly entering the Forest of Death.


	17. The Start of The Second Exam

Team 10 made their way into the forest silently. Once Hanara thought they were far enough inside to be safe, she stopped them.

"Guys, listen, I have a plan," Hanara whispered.

"What is it?" Choji asked, munching on his chips.

"We have 4 members and unless someone was targeting us specifically, they wouldn't know that, so let's make the most of it. I can use my Byakugan and stay behind you so that you guys have an ace. You work better when it's just the three of you anyway so it shouldn't be a problem. Another thing, it seems like the scrolls were rigged. All the Mist ninja and Grass ninja have Earth scrolls while all the Leaf ninja and Sand ninja have the Heaven scrolls. Well, as far as I can see anyway, so you can just leave the rest of us Leaf ninja and those shady Sand ninja alone," Hanara said, finally relaying the info she'd gathered.

"That's actually a good plan," Ino said, "I would have wanted you to come with us but since you already told us who has what scroll you staying behind works best. You can stay further away but still keep us in sight."

"Does anyone else have a better plan?" Hanara asked.

There was silence.

"No? Okay, let's get moving Team 10!" Hanara said.

Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji took off into the woods while Hanara stayed back and turned on her Byakugan. Once they were halfway out of her sight, she started to move. After two hours of just running towards the center of the forest, Hanara noticed 3 Grass shinobi moving towards the majority of her team.

 _'Jackpot,'_ Hanara thought, _'Now if Shikamaru can get them in Shadow Possession, I can make 2 water clones and have them strike the shinobi a second after he lets them go. They'll be down and we can search them for a scroll! Until then, I have to find a way to sneak up on them.'_

Hanara silenced her body using chakra and moved to the left of her team, staying 10 meters away from everyone as she slowly made her way behind the Grass ninja.

"Water Style: Water Clone Jutsu," Hanara whispered, creating 2 clones of herself.

The three of them closed in on the three Grass shinobi as Choji used his enlarged self to create a distraction which allowed Shikamaru to immobilize them.

"Shadow Possession Jutsu, complete," Shikamaru said, smirking as he knelt on the ground.

Once Hanara and her clones were right behind the Grass shinobi, whose complete attention was now on the fact that they were immobilized by _shadows_ , Shikamaru released his jutsu and Hanara and her clones struck them with a killing Gentle Fist strike. Her chakra enhanced fingers released enough chakra to stop their hearts (not that her teammates knew). Years of living in this world had definitely affected her morales. She was no longer above killing an opponent if it gave her a better chance of reaching her goal. It sort of... scared her

"The girl has the Earth Scroll," Hanara informed her teammates as she pulled said scroll out of the dead girl's weapons pouch.

"Huh, that was easy, now we just have to make our way to the tower," Ino said.

"Hana, do you have any more chips?" Choji asked.

Hanara smiled as she took out a scroll from her backpack and unsealed it, "Yep! I have about 60 packets."

Choji took a packet from the pile that Hanara had left lying on the floor and started to munch.

"It's getting dark, we should set up camp. I don't think we should try to get to the tower now, we'll overuse Hanara's eyes and she might collapse," Shikamaru said.

"You just want to sleep," Ino grumbled.

"No, that makes sense. I've already been using my Byakugan for at least 4 hours and I'm running low on chakra. If we get into a fight, I'll be the only person that can handle the enemy and if I'm out of chakra, we'll be goners. Shikamaru's shadow jutsus will be useless in the dark which makes your jutsu too dangerous to use. Choji might end up hurting us and I'll be the only one who can see. The enemies we face will have a ton of advantages over us then."

"Fine, we'll set up camp," Ino groaned.

**_~~~~ The Next Day ~~~~_ **

The next day, while Team 10 was eating breakfast from Hanara's storage scrolls, there was a scream. Hanara immediately turned on her Byakugan and surveyed the area. Her eyes widened. _'I remember, Sharon forced me to watch the entire second stage of the exams but I don't remember Team 7 being attacked twice! I can't afford to forget anymore! I can barely remember Mom and Dad's faces...'_

"Hana! Hana! Hanara! What's wrong? Who was it?" Ino was shaking her.

"S-Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto! They're in trouble! You have to come and see!" Hanara responded, sealing everything up and running towards them.

"Wait!" Choji.

"Think rationally," Shikamaru said.

"I can't! You don't understand! You won't understand until you come to see!" Hanara responded hysterically, shoving her scrolls into her bag.

She ran towards Dosu's team, watching as Lee (who had defended Sakura) became disoriented because of the sound waves. Hanara rummaged through her backpack, thankful that she brought earplugs after witnessing the Sound team's attack on Kabuto.

"You'll need these," she yelled back to her team as she tossed each member two earplugs with startling accuracy.

Hanara came to a stop right behind the bushes that surrounded the clearing in which Lee was fighting the Sound ninja and Sakura was guarding her team and watched.

"Seems like Sasuke and Naruto are out unconscious and even that Lee guy's messed up. Now it's Sakura all alone... what are you going to do, Ino? You were close friends before, weren't you?" Shikamaru asked from behind Hanara.

_'I don't remember this! Why don't I remember? I should remember, I have the best memory out of everyone I've ever met! What's going on?'_

Ino tensed up and looked towards the fight, no doubt getting emotional flashbacks from her innocent friendship with Sakura.

"Well, looks like Sakura's in big trouble now! You're okay with that?" Shikamaru asked.

_'Stop guilt-tripping the poor girl, Shika! If you want someone else to take charge and save Sakura, I'll do- wait... you're tired of Ino's petty rivalry with Sakura, aren't you. You just want her to realize she cares for Sakura. Smart. I'll just keep quiet.'_

"Huh?" Ino asked as Sakura launched shuriken towards Dosu only for them to be blocked by a sound wave from Zaku.

Kin body-flickered behind Sakura and grabbed her beautiful pink hair. Sakura's body began to shake and tears began to silently fall.

Hanara stared at Ino incredulously, _'Even if they're rivals, how is she okay with this? They're still comrades, they're still fellow Leaf shinobi!'_

Ino didn't seem to notice her stare though, she was shaking with fright, no doubt wondering what she could do.

Sakura raised a kunai.

"That's pointless," Kin sneered, "Something as simple as that won't work on me."

Sakura smirked, "That's not for you, it's for me!"

Then, Sakura chopped off her hair.

_'That's honestly so brave, I love my hair, I can't imagine having it cut off in the middle of a battle although I probably should... unless Jiraya teaches me his needle hair technique thing, it would be more of a hassle than its worth.'_

"Kin! Kill her!" Zaku ordered.

Kin tried. And was fooled by the freaking substitution jutsu. You know, for such a strong team, they sure are fooled by the littlest things. Every time they threw a sound wave attack at her, Sakura substituted herself.... until she didn't. She then landed on top of Zaku and wrestled him to the ground. And when Zaku tried to get her off of him, she _bit him._

_'Why do I not remember this, she is so freaking empowering in this scene???'_

"Get - _punch-_ off - _punch-_ of _-punch-_ me!" Zaku exclaimed.

_'How is Ino even able to watch this?? It's so heartbreaking!'_

"S-Sakura..." Ino whispered, her voice cracking with emotion as her eyes teared up.

Hanara closed her eyes hard, watching anymore would make her cry. _'Get your act together Hana! Ninja go up against worse than this all the time! She knew that when she signed up for this!'_

After punching Sakura a few more times, Zaku got her off of him and threw her away. Sakura's body crashed onto the ground with a loud 'thump'.

"H-How can you even stand to _watch_ this without interfering- without helping her! You were _friends_ once! Even if you are rivals now, you are both still Leaf shinobi! She's going to die and you're just sitting here not doing anything! Well, I can't sit here anymore, you're either coming with me or I'm going to defend her with all I've got by myself," Hanara snarled.

And with that, she plugged her ears with her ear plugs and body-flickered in front of Sakura, intent on protecting her even if it meant that she would lose her life (although, with her wind jutsus, that probably wouldn't happen). Because she wasn't even meant to get this life anyway, but Sakura definitely was.


	18. Saving Sakura

** Last Time: **

_And with that, she plugged her ears with her earplugs and body-flickered in front of Sakura, intent on protecting her even if it meant that she would lose her life. Because she wasn't even meant to get this life anyway, and Sakura was._

* * *

** Now: **

"So you came after all," Hanara smirked as she noticed her teammates behind her. Funnily enough, Shikamaru was holding Choji's scarf.

"It's troublesome, but we have to do this." Shikamaru said, "Since you and Ino revealed yourselves, us men can't run away!"

"Sorry to get you two involved but we're a four-man team," Ino laughed, "We do everything together."

"E-Everything together?" Choji said hysterically as he tried to move out of Shikamaru's grasp, "I'm sorry, Ino, but I don't want to die! Can't we just leave?"

"Heh, you might just want to listen to fatty there," Zaku said, "You could just keep your lives."

_'You just ruined all chances of that! Thanks!'_

"What did that person just say? I couldn't hear him too well." Choji said quietly.

"Huh? Didn't you hear me? I said listening to a fatty like you might just let you keep your lives," Zaku responded.

"I'M NOT FAT, I'M BIG-BONED!" Choji exclaimed, "HURRAY FOR BIG-BONED PEOPLE!"

"W-Wow..." Sakura said.

"The f-word is taboo to Choji," Shikamaru explained quietly.

"Sakura, just leave it to us," Ino told her, "Can't have you showing us up when Sasuke wakes up. Formation Ino!"

"Shika!"

"Hana!"

"Cho!"

"Go for it, Choji!" Ino yelled.

"Okay! Expansion Jutsu! Human Boulder!" Choji exclaimed, rolling towards Zaku.

"Slicing Sound Waves!" Zaku said, countering Choji's jutsu by using his sound waves like a butchered version of Wind Style ninjutsu.

Luckily, Choji used his head and used the pressure to launch himself upwards. Zaku was frozen with panic as he realized if Choji landed he was going to be squashed like a bug. Dosu moved towards him.

"I won't let you," Shikamaru said as he caught Dosu with his shadow, "Since you're the most troublesome one. Heh."

Choji was about to smash Zaku but he dodged the hit and forced Choji to crash into a tree.

"Dosu! What are you doing?" Kin exclaimed as she saw Dosu mimicking Shikamaru like a monkey.

Beside Hanara, Ino took advantage of Kin's distracted state, "Mind Transfer Jutsu!"

Ino slumped into Hanara's arms and took over Kin's body.

_'Urgh, that jutsu always creeped me out...'_

"This is it!" Ino-Kin said, putting a kunai to her throat, "If you move, this Kin girl is dead. If you don't want to die here, leave your scroll and go."

_'Hmph. You can pull a good bluff Ino. You should have tried something else though, these guys don't seem like the type to care for their teammates. They didn't pull a single useful technique as a team. That's what they're lacking in, the ability to work as a team. And in this case, that single fact helps them have the upper hand,'_ Hanara thought worriedly.

Zaku and Dosu burst out laughing.

_'I was right and I really wish I wasn't.'_

"Do you think that lowly of us?" Dosu asked, "We couldn't care less about her."

"Slicing Sound Wave," Zaku called out, launching an attack towards Ino-Kin.

Hanara hurriedly dropped Ino's body at the base of a tree and body-flickered in front of Kin.

"Wind Style: Air Bullet," Hanara yelled, spitting out a focused blast of wind.

Her attack clashed with Zaku's and he, along with Hanara and Kin, was sent flying back.

Kin and Hanara let out a yell and a drop of blood came out of both Kin's and Ino's mouth.

"Ino! Hana!" Shikamaru and Choji screamed.

"What's wrong with them? They attacked their own teammate!" Ino exclaimed.

"These types of people don't care for their teammates," Hanara told her, "The Sound must not care for teamwork. They most likely just assembled a three-man squad solely to enter them for the exams."

"Heh. You took us lightly," Zaku said as he staggered to his feet.

"Our purpose is not to get a scroll or to pass this stupid exam," Dosu continued, "It is to kill Sasuke Uchiha. Judging by the blood coming out of that girl's mouth, if we kill Kin, she dies too."

"You're going to kill a teammate?" Shikamaru asked in disbelief.

"If we have to, yes," Zaku responded.

"You let your guard down," Dosu said.

"Tch," Shikamaru sighed as his jutsu released itself and he picked up Ino's body, "This is over."

"Damn it," Choji let out.

"Close," Zaku said, "You almost had us."

Hanara sighed and shook her head. If they'd played their cards right, they _would_ have gotten the Sound ninja. But _no_ she just _had_ to be stuck on keeping her abilities under wraps. No matter, she still could use a mixture of her clan's abilities and elemental techniques to win this.

"Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, leave this to me," Hanara told them, "I'm going all out."

"Byakugan!"

Hanara was just about to start her attack when a voice came from the trees.

"Disgusting," Neji said, leaning against a tree with Tenten beside him, "Some minor Sound ninja acting like victors by beating second-class ninja?"

"Hmph, if you hadn't noticed, Neji, I haven't even tried. They haven't beaten us," Hanara said, glaring at her cousin.

"What?" Dosu asked, ignoring her comment, "You Leaf ninja keep coming out of the forest like cockroaches."

"That kid with the bowl-cut is our teammate," Neji continued, ignoring their interruptions, "Looks like you went overboard with him!"

Neji's Byakugan activated, "If you're going to continue to fight, we will attack with everything we have!"

Hanara smirked, "You remember what I just told you, right? Ino? Shikamaru? Choji? Well, that still applies."

Hanara weaved hand signs, preparing for a Water Bullet (and giving away to Neji that she had ninjutsu on her side) when she saw thick purple chakra starting to come out of the cave in which Naruto and Sasuke were located and immediately stopped. The chakra was so thick and dense that it could be seen without the use of any dojutsu. And judging by the looks of Zaku and Dosu's faces, they knew exactly what was happening.

Apparently, Neji noticed too because he too froze.

"What is it, Neji?" Tenten asked.

"Hn," Neji relaxed and wiped the shock off of his face.

"Ino, there's some purple chakra that is influencing Sasuke, and in a bad way. Release the girl and get out of here, you don't want to be caught in the middle of this," Hanara whispered urgently before body-flickering to Shikamaru and Choji to relay the message.

"If you don't like what we're doing, stop showing off and come down here," Zaku told Neji.

Team 10 used that as an opportunity to 'discreetly' leave and hide in the trees.

"It seems like I won't need to," Neji responded smoothly as Sasuke emerged from the cave behind Sakura, staggering as purple chakra swirled around him.

"Sasuke!" Sakura squealed.


	19. Sasuke's Curse Mark

** Last time: **

_"It seems like I won't need to," Neji responded smoothly as Sasuke emerged from the cave behind Sakura, staggering as purple chakra swirled around him._

_"Sasuke!" Sakura squealed._

* * *

** Now: **

"Sakura," Sasuke growled, fire-like marks crawling onto his skin, "Who did this to you?"

"S-Sasuke?"

"Who. Did. This. To. You?"

"Hmph," Zaku opened his mouth to speak but was hurriedly shut up by Dosu.

"You don't know what you're messing with," Dosu muttered, "Why would Orochimaru ask us to kill him but give him _that_ mark?"

"I did it to her," Zaku said, smirking, "What are you going to do about it, kid?"

"T-That's Sasuke?" Ino stuttered.

' _What the heck is causing that purple chakra? It isn't nat- Oh! It's from his neck! and based on what Dosu just said, Orochimaru put it there. It makes sense... he left the village because he was caught experimenting on humans. This must have been one of his projects...'_

"No, Ino. Dosu just said something that makes me think that Orochimaru of the Sannin caused this. There's something on his neck that's eating at his chakra and it might even be affecting his mind. Whatever it's trying to do, it isn't good," Hanara responded.

"S-Sasuke, y-your body!" Sakura said, concern leaking into her voice.

"Oh, this? Don't worry, it's giving me power. I can feel it surging through me. I feel great!"

_'Idiot. You of all people should know that such a fast-working power-up comes with a price! Remember how you got that Sharingan? You felt pain!'_

" _He_ gave it to me. I finally understand what I am. I am an avenger," Sasuke exclaimed.

"DOSU! Don't be afraid of that half-dead guy!" Zaku yelled.

"No! Stop! Zaku! You don't understand!" Dosu panicked.

"I'll kill them all with this! It will be over in a flash!" Zaku said, acting all high and mighty, "SUPERSONIC SLICING SOUND WAVE!"

_'You're in for a rude awakening, my dude. If my Wind-Style could beat your attack, curse-mark enhanced Sasuke is going to kill you. And I'm not using that just as an expression, I mean it literally.'_

Zaku's attack took effect and Team 10 was struggling to stay in their spot. _'Damn, I should learn some wind barriers or someone on this team should learn some earth style ninjutsu. Rotation isn't going to help the four of us...'_

"Heh, they're blown to pieces," Zaku smirked.

"What's this all about? What's going on?" Choji asked Shikamaru.

"How should I know?" Shikamaru responded, annoyed.

"Orochimaru of the Sannin wants something from Sasuke. Most likely his Sharingan. From what I can tell, these Sound ninja, if not all Sound ninja, work for him. They were ordered to kill him but Orochimaru placed a curse mark on Sasuke which enhances his chakra but is also probably eating away at his mind," Hanara told Choji.

"H-How?" Shikamaru asked.

"You should listen to your enemy while they rant, it gives away lots of information. The curse mark stuff was figured out because of my Byakugan though."

"ARGHH!" Zaku yelled, crashing into Dosu, shocking us into silence.

"Zaku!" 

_'Damn, he got fast! Team 7 was in front of the cave a minute ago but now they're in front of the bushes that we're hiding behind!'_

Sasuke started weaving hand signs too fast for anyone to see.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" he yelled, spitting out mini-fireballs.

"I don't think so," Zaku said, letting out another blast. It stopped the fire but revealed the shuriken that were hiding in the fire.

"Dammit, Orochimaru let them rip off Wind-Style!" Hanara whispered furiously to her teammates.

"Zaku, get down!" Dosu yelled as Zaku let out a pained scream.

Then, in the blink of an eye, Sasuke was behind Zaku and pulling on his arms while his knee dug into Zaku's back. He used pure speed and was as fast as a regular body-flicker.

Sasuke got a crazy look in his eyes and started to smirk, "You seem... very proud of these arms of yours... you must be... very _attached_ to them."

_'Bad pun, Sasuke, bad pun. But seriously, Orochimaru, this curse mark thing is making him crazy!'_

"No! What are you doing?" 

Sasuke's chakra got even more fierce and dark if that was even possible.

Zaku screamed and Sasuke tossed him away. That scream hurt Hanara's ears more than his sound waves ever did.

_'Orochimaru... just what did you do to him?'_

Sasuke _smiled_ and turned towards Dosu, "It looks like you're the only one left."

Dosu started shaking.

"I hope you make things more interesting than your friend did."

 _'Did you fucking implant your soul into Sasuke or something, Orochimaru? That type of thing only comes out of the mouths of sickos like you!'_ Hanara thought, clenching her fists.

Sasuke started to walk towards Dosu slowly as Dosu stood there frozen.

"NOOOO!" Sakura screamed, tears streaming down her face as she moved towards Sasuke as fast as her bloody and bruised body would allow her, "STOOOP!"

She hugged Sasuke from behind and buried her face into his back.

"Don't do it," Sakura sobbed, "Stop, please."

And then, finally, Sasuke's curse mark receded. 

Hanara let out a sigh of relief, "He should be back to normal now, don't worry. We should come out."

Team 10 slowly made their way right in front of the bushes they were hiding behind.

"You are strong, Sasuke," Dosu said, relief evident on his face as he held out his Earth Scroll, "Too strong. We can't hope to defeat you, the way you are now. I'll give you a deal: We surrender our scroll, you let us go. It would seem we underestimated you, but at least we found out what we needed to know. For the moment, we're even. But should it happen that we meet again in combat, I promise you that we won't run or hide." 

Dosu lifted Zaku and Kin and moved to leave but was stopped by Sakura.

"Wait!" Sakura yelled, "Who is this Orochimaru anyway? What's he done to Sasuke? And why Sasuke?"

"I don't know." Dosu admitted as he walked away, "All I know is that we were told to target Sasuke and we did. I don't know why he told us to attack someone on which he bestowed such powers. I don't know how Sasuke even survived the curse mark. There are many things, I don't know."

"Sakura, Orochimaru is one of the Sannin, one of the legendary three Leaf ninjas. Some people refer to them as Tsunade, the Legendary Sucker, Jiraiya, the Super Pervert, and Orochimaru the traitor. He's placed a curse mark on Sasuke. From what I can tell, it will give him a chakra boost but it'll eat away at his mind. He wants something from Sasuke and judging by his obsession with kekkei genkais, it's his Sharingan," Hanara told her as Choji and Shikamaru tried to wake up Naruto, and Sasuke was recovering from his shock.

"H-How do you know that? Do you work with him too? Or have you met him?" Sakura asked her.

"Idiot. Of course I don't work with him! He's after kekkei genkais! Or have you forgotten that I have one too? And as for how I know that, the Sannin are famous in our village. And, while I was in the trees I used my Byakugan to check out what was causing the marks on Sasuke's body. It led back to his neck and I heard one of your enemies talking about Orochimaru and a mark on Sasuke. Anyway, I'm going to go talk to Neji's team, I'm sure Ino can tell you anything else you want to know," Hanara said, walking towards Neji.

Neji, Lee, and Tenten were making their way to the forest when Hanara stopped them.

"I don't know if you could tell, but there's something wrong with the Sound ninja," she said.

"That was pretty obvious," Tenten responded.

"No, I mean like something off about them that could endanger our village."

She received confused looks.

"Let me explain. Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura all met Orochimaru in this forest before this all happened. He's the reason that Sasuke had that purple chakra swirling around him. Sasuke comes off as cold, yes, but never anything to this extent. Sakura can vouch for that. I used my Byakugan to check out the origin of it but it wasn't his stomach like it usually is for natural chakra, it was his neck. Sakura was going on about how Orochimaru had left Sasuke a mark on his neck and that Dosu dude knew about this too. Also, Dosu said that Orochimaru had given him orders to kill Sasuke, which means either Orochimaru wants Sasuke, the village, or both, and he's using these exams as a distraction to help him reach his goal. So, we should all be on our guard," Hanara said.

"I see," Neji drawled.

"All I'm saying is, be careful and try to steer clear of the Sound ninja now," Hanara replied, turning her back to them, "See ya."

"INO, SHIKAMARU, CHOJI, WE SHOULD GET GOING NOW!" Hanara yelled from her spot against a tree.

"Yeah, yeah, let me finish doing Sakura's hair," Ino replied.

"Coming!" Choji and Shikamaru chorused as they made their way towards Hanara.

A few minutes later, Ino was with them and they all headed back into the forest.


	20. Explanations

The journey towards the tower was quite uneventful as everyone's thoughts were occupied with Sasuke's curse mark. Honestly, this would have been the perfect moment for someone to ambush them because no one was paying much attention to their surroundings.

Once Team 10 was at the tower, the entered it and saw a big board on the wall opposite them. It read, "If qualities of Heaven are what you desire, acquire wisdom to take your mind higher. If Earthly qualities are what you lack, train your body and prepare to attack. If Heaven and Earth are opened together, the perilous path will be righteous forever. This ______ is the secret way that guides us on from this place today."

"Huh, what do you think that means?" Ino asked.

"I don't know," Choji responded, chips nowhere in sight for once.

"Wait... it says 'If Heaven and Earth are opened together'" Shikamaru muttered.

"Ooh! We have to open the scrolls!" Hanara said, pulling the Heaven and Earth scrolls from her bag.

Hanara gave one scroll to Shikamaru, "On the count of three we'll open it. One! Two! Three!"

When Hanara's eyes landed on the design written on the scroll, her eyes widened and she threw it onto the floor, "It's a summoning scroll! Drop it, Shikamaru!"

Shikamaru did, and just in time too, because right after he did, there was a 'poof' and a puff of smoke cleared to reveal Asuma-sensei.

"Huh?" Ino asked.

"What?" Choji said.

"Asuma-sensei!" Hanara yelled gleefully as she ran up to him and hugged him.

He laughed, "Good to see you, Hanara."

"What are you here for, sensei?" Shikamaru asked.

"Well, you see that board over there with the quote? I'm here to explain it," Asuma sensei said as Hanara released him, "It's something that our Hokage feels that all Chunin should understand. Basically, what it means is, if you need intelligence on your side, build it up and if you need strength on your side, build _that_ up. Once you have them both, you will succeed."

"...oh," Ino said, before voicing what they were all thinking, "but we already knew that..."

"Not all teams are as smart as you guys are," Asuma said.

"So is that it? Can we go home now?" Shikamaru asked.

"Sadly, no, you need to stay here until the five days are up. They'll give you food and rooms and stuff, don't worry." Asuma-sensei reassured, "After that, they'll come and get you. If there are too many people that passed through, instead of debriefing you on the third exam, they might do some preliminaries, so try not to slack off. Anyway, that's all I can tell you. Congrats on passing the second exam! See ya!"

And then he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Well, that was weird," Hanara commented, "Might as well get used to this place and scope out our competition."

**_~~~ Three Days Later ~~~_ **

Team 10 and the remaining exam takers were standing in rows facing the Hokage and some Jonin (including the senseis).

"First off, congratulations on making it through the second exam," the Hokage said.

"I'm really hungry," Choji whispered.

"What a drag, there are so many people left... this is going to be such a pain," Shikamaru complained quietly.

Hanara sighed, "There's going to be preliminaries for sure."

Ino looked at Sasuke, "Sasuke and his team have passed too!"

"They better have, after all the trouble we went through," Shikamaru grumbled.

"Yeah, I even gave away my ace," Hanara agreed.

"All right, now pay attention," Anko said, clapping her hands together, "Lord Hokage is going to explain the third exam to you."

"Huh, maybe there aren't going to be preliminaries," Hanara muttered.

"First, before I explain what the exam itself is, I would like to explain something about this entire test," the Hokage said, "Listen closely now, this is something all of you must understand. I am going to explain the true meaning behind this test. Why do you suppose the countries hold this exam with their allies? Sure, we raise the abilities of our shinobi and we increase the level of friendship through them, but what is the real reason? The exams are, so to speak, a representation of the battle between these allied nations."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Tenten asked.

"Now, if we look at our history, all the countries we are currently allied with were once neighbouring nations that fought with each other for power," the Hokage answered, "To avoid destroying others' military strength meaninglessly, those nations selected champions to battle on behalf of their countries in a mutually selected location. That is how the Chunin Selection Exams originally began."

"Well that's great and all but why do we have to do these exams then? It's not like we're picking Chunin to go and fight," Naruto said.

 _'Idiot, you would think that after 3 wars you would realize that peace will never last.'_ Hanara thought.

"Well, there is no question that _part_ of the point of this exam is the selection of Chunin, that just isn't the whole story." the Hokage explained, "These exams also serve as a place where shinobi can carry the pride of their nation on their backs and fight for their lives against other ninjas."

"Wait! So what you're saying is that this exam is just an excuse for mindless slaughter? That our lives were in danger because it was either that or something as meaningless as pride?" Hanara exclaimed.

"Many leaders and people of prominence from various nations, are invited to these exams as guests and even to possibly scout for shinobi that may be willing to work for them. It is not just about the pride of ourselves or someone else, these exams serve as a show of power, and thus, are one of the deciding factors of a country's success."

"Even so, why must we risk our lives?" Kiba asked.

"The country's strength is the village's strength, the village's strength is the shinobi's strength, and the shinobi's true strength is only found in a life or death battle. This exam is a chance for the countries to show their shinobi's strength and hence, their nation's strength. It is because your life is on the line that this exam has meaning, and it is for this very reason that your forerunners fought in this exam as well. Dying for your nation is truly a dream worth striving for."

_'What. The. Fuck. This exam only has meaning because our lives are on the line? It still would have meaning because we would get promoted! Saying that is practically making us- what was it called again?- GLADIATORS! Those gladiators that would fight for the spectators' enjoyment! That is practically what you've downgraded us prospective Chunin to. It's sick!'_

"But then why did you use the expression 'friendship' before?" Tenten asked.

"You only remember half of what I said, you mustn't have the wrong idea of the exams' meaning. This is a custom in which balance is maintained in fighting and dying, in the world of shinobi, _that_ is the true meaning of friendship."

"Any exam is fine, I can handle whatever you throw at me. Just give me the details already," Gaara drawled. 

_'He really gives me the creeps...'_

"Very well then, allow me to explain just exactly what will happen for your third exam."

A man with a bandana-style headband interrupted the Hokage, "Lord Hokage, before you do, please allow me, Hayate Gekko, the proctor for the exam, to speak."

"So be it."

He faced the Genin, "It's nice to meet you all. _Cough, cough._ There is something you must all do before the third exam. _Cough, cough, cough._ You must participate in a preliminary round to participate in the last exam."

_'And here is where all hell breaks loose.'_

Among all the murmurs that were let out, Kiba's yell was loud and clear, "Preliminary? Just what do you mean by that???"

"I'm sorry sensei, but I really don't see the point! Why can't we go straight to the third exam?" Sakura asked.

Hayate looked at her, "The first and second exams were too easy. The fact is, we can't have all of you participate in the third exam, there are too many people. According to the rules, a preliminary can be held at any point in the exams if there are too many candidates."

"But, is that even fair?" a voice yelled out.

"As the Hokage said, many important guests are attending. We need to show them the best of the best, we can't waste their time with too many people. It would get boring. So, if any of you aren't in tip-top condition, please leave. The preliminaries will start immediately."

"Come on! You mean right now?" Kiba complained.

"I shouldn't have hoped. This is goin- dammit Shika, you've rubbed off on me," Hanara complained.

"Heh," Shikamaru smirked.

"Oh yeah, the winners will be determined by one-on-one combat, sudden death. So, as I said, if you don't feel up to it, please bow out. This won't affect your team at all," Hayate said after another coughing fit.

There was silence for a moment before Kabuto Yakushi raised his hand.

 _'Byakugan.'_ Hanara thought, checking Kabuto's condition, _'I don't get it, he isn't injured at all... something's up.'_

Hayate flipped through his clipboard before crossing off something, "Kabuto Yakushi of the Leaf, right? You're free to go."

Naruto created a commotion about Kabuto's decision before Sakura's raised hand captured his attention.

"I-I can't go on," Sakura said.

"But, Sakura," Naruto protested loudly.

"Look at me, I'm in a horrible state. I'd lose any battle with these guys! We've only got an hour to recuperate and I didn't visit any medical ninja! I'd fall over with a punch!" Sakura exclaimed.

Naruto's mouth opened to retort, but for once, he shut it without a sound.

"Sakura Haruno of the Leaf? You're free to go."

"Can I stay to watch?" she asked.

Hayate contemplated it for a moment, "... yes but no funny business."

"Now then, is there anyone else?" Hayate asked, glancing at Zaku, "All right then, we will now begin the preliminary round. This round will consist of one-on-one individual combat with full battle intensity. This is not an exercise. There are twenty of you remaining, so there will be ten matches. The surviving candidates of those ten matches will move on to the next exam. As for the rules, there are none. You will fight until one of you dies, concedes defeat, or is rendered physically incapable of continuing the match."

"Naturally, if a candidate is already losing, they are encouraged to accept defeat promptly to avoid a fatal outcome. As the proctor, I am given a certain amount of leeway to judge the matches," he coughed, "I might occasionally intervene if the match seems hopeless to save as many lives as possible. Now it is time to reveal what fate has chosen for you."

Hayate turned to look at Anko.

She brought down the microphone from her headset and ordered, "Open the panel."

The panel on the top left corner of the room opened to reveal a dark green screen behind it.

"The names of each pair are chosen at random. Before each fight, these names will appear on the display. As there is nothing more to explain, let's begin. In a moment, two names will appear."

The screen went through a bunch of names, too fast for Hanara to see. The screen then stopped with a beep, revealing the first match up.

_Akado Yoroi vs Uchiha Sasuk_ _e_


	21. The Preliminaries, Pt. 1

**_ Last time: _ **

**The screen went through a bunch of names, too fast for Hanara to see. The screen then stopped with a beep, revealing the first match up.**

**_Akado Yoroi vs Uchiha Sasuke_ **

* * *

** Now: **

Hanara looked at the boy who stepped forward from Kabuto's team. He had black glasses that looked a lot like Shino's and wore a mask that covered most of the rest of his face. He carried himself with an air of arrogance, seeming quite confident in his abilities against Sasuke.

"Okay, those whose names have just been called, please go to the middle of this room. The rest of you may go to the viewing area," Hayate said, coughing right after.

_'Is he sick? He should get that cough checked out...'_

Asuma walked to his team and led them to the stairs on the side that every Leaf team, save Kabuto's, were standing. The Sand, Sound, and Kabuto's team were on the other side, wearing some _unpleasant_ looks on their faces.

"So, how are you guys?" Asuma asked as they made their way in-between Kurenai's and Kakashi's teams, "Had some time to heal up?"

"Yeah, I think our chakra levels are back to normal. I don't think Ino got a concussion from her fall so we should be okay," Hanara responded.

"Look! The match is starting!" Ino exclaimed.

"Any objections?" Hayate asked.

"None here," Sasuke said.

"No."

Though Sasuke was smaller than his opponent by a lot, he didn't seem very worried. Hopefully, that meant whatever Orochimaru had done to him was no longer a problem.

"Uh, okay then, the match may begin," Hayate said, stepping back.

Yoroi wasted no time, lunging at Sasuke as his hands turned blue.

 _'Chakra,'_ Hanara thought, turning on her Byakugan, _'He steals chakra from his opponents... being bigger than Sasuke isn't as ideal for him as it would have been for someone else.'_

He forced Sasuke to the ground and landed on top of him as Sasuke screamed. Yoroi laughed as Sasuke squirmed and attempted to pull his hand off him.

 _'I take it back, being larger gave him an advantage.'_ she thought, deactivating her Byakugan.

Sasuke went limp and his arms fell to his side, "What the- My chakra! What are you doing?"

Yoroi laughed, "You're just noticing it now? I'm taking away every drop of your chakra, and you seem to have quite a lot of it."

Sasuke screamed and started to thrash once more.

Suddenly, he forced his hands into fists and mustered up the strength to kick Yoroi off.

"Get. Off. ME!" Sasuke screamed.

"So, you've got some strength left, huh? Impressive. For a _guinea pig_ ," Yoroi snarled as he got up.

Sasuke's eyes widened.

"Don't worry, little man, I'll make it short and sweet," Yoroi said, moving to attack. 

His hands lit up with chakra again and he tried to connect with Sasuke's shoulder. This time though, Sasuke was prepared and dodged. This was soon followed with fast swipes at Sasuke, all of which were dodged. A bit of the blue chakra hit Sasuke's hair, however, and Sasuke staggered under Yoroi's arms and tried to move closer to the wall under the right side of the room.

"What's the matter?" Yoroi taunted, "Is that all you can do?"

Sasuke turned around fast enough to dodge Yoroi's next attack and Yoroi backflipped to maintain enough distance for a running start towards him.

Hanara looked to Sakura and Naruto without turning her head (Byakugan perks!) and saw them both tense. _'I would be too, I suppose, if any of my teammates were the ones down there.'_

"Hey, Sasuke!" Naruto yelled, "Come on, man! What was that? And you call yourself an Uchiha?"

Sasuke turned to the sound of Naruto's voice.

"You're gonna let this goon walk all over you!" he continued, "Come on, stop messing around and get in gear!"

Sasuke's eyes moved to Lee, who was beside Naruto, and his eyes widened, evidently having some sort of idea inspired by him.

However, Yoroi was enraged by Sasuke's decision to turn his back on him and ran towards him, chakra coating his hands.

"I'll teach you to turn you back on me! Big mistake, and your last!"

He struck. Sasuke dodged. He struck again. Sasuke dodged, again. This went on for quite some time, but it would have to end soon, because, with every dodge, Sasuke was being forced closer and closer to the wall.

Sasuke realized this as well because he disappeared and reappeared right under Yoroi with one hand on the ground, kicking Yoroi with the force of his body's weight. _'Is that Lee's move? It was inspired by him? But... taijutsu of that level takes at least a year to perfect! Is this the power of the Sharingan?'_

Yoroi was sent flying while Sasuke landed on all-fours before leaping straight into the air, taking position right behind him. Lee's eyes widened, as did Guy's and Kakashi's, _'Yep, definitely his move.'_

"Okay, I admit, I kinda borrowed that move," Sasuke said. 

_'Yep, it's confirmed.'_

"But, from here on out, it's all original," he continued.

"Huh? The Dancing Leaf Shadow?" Yoroi exclaimed.

"Now, take this!" Sasuke said, moving to attack.

And then, Hanara saw the same black marks from the forest, covering his body, causing Sasuke to scream. But, with sheer willpower alone, Sasuke seemed to be able to force it back before it covered the other half of his body.

"Here we go," Sasuke smirked.

Sasuke kicked him, but even though he was in the air, Yoroi managed to catch his foot, "You're no match for me!"

Sasuke moved out of his hold and kicked Yoroi on his stomach, forcing him to crash into the ground.

"LION'S BARRAGE!" Sasuke yelled.

The force of the kick landing made Sasuke skid back on the floor, however, and both opponents were lying down. It seemed like no one was going to move, and apparently, the proctor thought so too, because he made his way over to Yoroi.

"Well, this one's had it," he muttered after checking Yoroi.

Sasuke groaned and managed to force himself up.

"I'm declaring this match over," Hayate said, "As the winner of this preliminary round, Sasuke Uchiha will enter the finals."

"Way to go!" Naruto shouted.

"Great move, Sasuke," Sakura yelled.

"That's Sasuke all right!" Ino smiled.

"Ugh," Hanara groaned to her male teammates, "Now she'll expect us to do the same..."

"You said it," Shikamaru agreed.

There was a 'thump' as Sasuke fell onto his butt, his body giving out. The medics rushed towards him as well as his opponent, but Kakashi stopped the ones at Sasuke by body-flickering to them.

"You're going to be out of your league with him, I'll handle it," he said, carrying Sasuke towards the exit, "I'll bring him to the hospital later."

The medics put Yoroi on a stretcher and left the room. Not a moment too soon either, because a 'beep' came from the board, announcing the next match-up.

_Shino Aburame vs Zaku Abumi_

Shino moved towards the stairs but Hanara ran after him.

"Shino!"

He turned.

"Just a word of advice, he uses something on his arms to emit sound waves. If you want to win, stopping those should be enough," she said hurriedly before turning around and running back to her team, not bothering to see his reaction.

"Why did you tell him that?" Choji asked curiously.

"I _really_ want to see him knocked down a peg and Shino, or any Aburame really, has the means to do it." she smiled before focusing on the makeshift fighting area, noticing that both Shino and Zaku, whose arms were in a sling, were there.

"If you fight here," Shino said, "You will never be able to fight again. Forfeit."

"Heh." Zaku responded taking his left arm out of the sling, "This arm still can move somehow. One arm is good enough for you!" 

Zaku kneeled and stretched his arm out to Shino, palm open before running up to him. Shino blocked the attack.

"You won't be able to beat me with just one arm."

"Yeah, well I've got news for ya. Try this! Slicing Sound Wave!" he stopped the blast of wind and said, "Okay fool, you had enough?"

There was a cloud of dust that cleared, and it revealed Shino standing, clothes slightly ruffled but otherwise unharmed.

"Huh?" Zaku said, confused, "He's- There's no way! He's... what?"

Bugs were crawling all over Shino.

 _'I suppose, for someone out of the Leaf, this would seem a bit odd,'_ Hanara thought, looking at Zaku, Kin, and Dosu's expressions, _'But even Sakura and Naruto seem confused. The Aburame don't exactly_ ** _hide_** _their clan's specialties...'_

"Great. Now that you've creeped us all out, what happens next?" Zaku asked, still keeping up his tough-guy act.

Zaku's eyes widened as he turned around and noticed the swarm of kikaichu behind him, "What _are_ those?"

"They're a rare species of parasitic insects that attack their enemies in a swarm, eating their chakra," Shino responded, "An army of _this_ size will suck you dry in less than a minute. Your only intelligent option is to forfeit the match. You can't fight two opponents with one arm. Attack me and the swarm will attack you. Attack the swarm and _I_ will attack you. While in battle, one should always have an ace in the hole, and this is mine."

Hanara sighed, _'Don't give away your tricks to the entire room! If you make it to the next round, someone might come up with a strategy to counteract it!'_

Something Zaku thought about must have enraged him because he let out a roar, "ARGH! Now you've done it!" he exclaimed, raising one arm to Shino while taking the other out of its sling, "Now you've made me mad!"

Zaku forced his fists open, "Like you said yourself, always have an ace in the hole, _right_?

"What the? I thought his right arm was shot," Kiba said from beside her.

"Appearances can be deceiving," Hanara and Shikamaru said in sync before blushing.

With a yell, Zaku attempted to use his Slicing Sound Wave, but something stopped him and forced him to drop his arms.

"Hanara, what's happening?" Shikamaru asked from her left.

"Byakugan," Hanara said, not using any hand signs in her haste, "No way!" she exclaimed, staring at Zaku, "That smart boy!"

"What did Shino do?" Kiba questioned.

"He used his kikaichu to block the holes in Zaku's hand, when Zaku ran up to him, most likely. Now, there's enough to stop the flow of chakra. It'll probably build up until one of the forces has to give," Hanara said, smiling, "Shino's got this in the bag!"

"Why do you want him to win so much?" Kiba asked.

"Zaku tried something against our team during the Second Exam and I still have something against him for it."

"Urgh! My arms! What's wrong with them?" Zaku yelled.

Zaku managed to move his arms enough to see the kikaichu in the holes," What?"

Shino body-flickered behind him, "Earlier when I was distracting you with my helpful advice? I was also dispatching my little friends to clog up those bothersome wind holes of yours, both hands, just to be sure. You see, while an ace in the hole is good, two are better."

Zaku grew enraged and moved to attack, but Shino countered and backhanded him, sending Zaku flying and forcing him to hit his head against the floor as he landed. Zaku stayed immobile for about 2 minutes before the proctor checked him.

"It seems like this match is over. Winner: Shino Aburame."


	22. The Preliminaries, Pt. 2

**_Last time:_ **

_"It seems like this match is over. Winner: Shino Aburame."_

* * *

**_Now:_ **

Shino made his way in-between Kiba and Hinata, sending a nod of gratitude my way. It seems as though he and Kiba had sensed the tension between me and Hinata and decided to keep us as far apart as possible. I am forever grateful for that.

 _'Beep!'_ went the board, announcing the next battle: _Hyuga Hinata vs Hyuga Neji_

Hanara shut her eyes and tightened her grip on the bar in front of her, _'We're screwed. Completely and utterly screwed,'_ she thought, taking deep breaths, _'I've got to go talk to Neji.'_

Hanara opened her eyes and found her team and Hinata sending worried looks her way while Hinata was getting the same look to her.

"Lady Hinata, are you going to participate?" Hanara asked, staring at her.

"Y-Yes," she squeaked.

"Then I advise you to proceed with caution. I have given Brother Neji some of the scrolls I received during our previous training lessons together," Hanara responded cooly, turning her back to Hinata and making her way to Neji.

What she didn't know, was that Hinata took her words of advice as a sign that Hanara actually cared.

Once there, she dragged him away from his teammates, "I assume your sensei has already told you this but do not let your emotions affect this match." she warned him.

Neji scoffed, "I am not as affected by my emotions as that blonde over there is."

"Whatever you do, don't give her any severe injuries," Hanara said, walking back to her team, "You know the proctors will stop the match and we'll get in trouble for it later."

"You okay?" Ino asked as Hinata and Neji made their way to the fighting area.

"Don't ask _me_ that," Hanara responded, "Ask Hinata. If you think _I_ hate her, you're in for a reality check. Neji takes the word hate to a new level. If he listens to me and doesn't put her in a life-endangering state, I'll lick the back of my sandal."

"Hey! She might not look like much but Hinata's strong too!" Kiba said angrily.

"I never said she wasn't, but even she doesn't stand a chance against last year's Rookie of the Year," Hanara said.

"I never thought that I would fight with _you,_ Lady Hinata," Neji said.

"Nor I, you, Brother Neji," Hinata responded.

"Huh?!" Naruto yelled, "Hinata's brother is that prick?"

"They are related, yes, but they are not siblings. Most likely distant cousins," Kakashi explained to Naruto.

Hanara decided to walk over to Team 7, knowing that they were going to be the most confused by this entire ordeal.

"Direct cousins, actually," Hanara corrected, "Neji's father was Hinata's father's brother."

"Ah," Kakashi responded.

"What about you?" Sakura asked, "Are you related to them?"

Hanara flinched, "I am Neji's adopted sister."

"Start the battle," Hayate said.

"Withdraw," Neji commanded, "You are not suited to being a shinobi. You are soft and kindhearted, that attitude and strength of yours won't change. You would just be a disgrace to shinobi. Why do you even try? Once a failure, always a failure."

"How..." Hanara muttered under her breath, "He made being kindhearted sound like an insult."

Hinata's eyes widened and she started to visibly shake.

Hanara's eyes narrowed and her hands balled into fists, _'Neji... you better stop this whole holier-than-thou attitude soon.'_

"Byakugan," Neji said, his hands slipping into the Tiger seal, "These eyes of mine can't be deceived. Your posture, your body language, it's all giving me signs that you are recalling your bitter past. And you're already seeing the result of this fight, the image of you losing. Laying a finger on your lip," Neji said as Hinata did just that, "that too is a familiar act of panic. Changing yourself is something you can't do! Once a failure, always a failure."

She wanted to yell at Neji so badly. To tell him to _shut the fuck up._ But she couldn't, just because she had to keep up her stupid act.

Hanara's hands closed around the cold, red, bars once more and squeezed them with so much force they started to bend. In a flash, Asuma-sensei appeared beside her.

"Calm down, Hanara," he whispered, laying a hand on her shoulder. The familiar gesture soothed her and her tense body visibly relaxed.

"Who gave you the right to tell her what she can and can't be?" Naruto yelled, outraged, "Go on, Hinata! Show this idiot he's wrong! And Hanara! How can you even stand watching your brother say these things?"

"You're in no position to judge me when you don't even know anything about me," Hanara responded in a monotonous voice.

Hinata however, lowered her eyes and whispered, "T-Thank you, Naruto."

When Hinata raised her eyes, there was a new strength in them. She immediately turned on her Byakugan and slipped into her stance. Neji took that as his cue and slid into his stance.

Both of them were Gentle Fist users, so this battle was going to be about who struck the fastest and found the most openings. Sadly, Hanara could already tell that Hinata was going to lose because Neji was only making it seem like Hinata was landing her attacks. He was playing a cruel game, letting Hinata think she had a chance when he was getting all the chakra points on her arms as he 'blocked'. It made her so _mad_. She could try and deny it to herself all she wanted but deep down, she knew that she still cared for Hinata, no matter how detached she tried to act.

 _'Deep breaths, Hanara,'_ she silently coached herself as the battle raged on, _'In. Out. In. Out. I- Oh who am I kidding,'_ she fumed _, 'This is TORTURE! Neji is just... ugh! When it comes to anything with the main family involved it's just like he's an entirely new person!'_

"Hinata!" Naruto screamed, shocking Hanara out of her thoughts.

Hinata coughed out blood.

Hanara. Was. DONE!

Anyone with _eyes_ could see that was a potential killing blow and hadn't she _specifically_ told Neji to not do anything that drastic? Her killing intent was coming off in waves for a few seconds before she reeled it in.

Neji opened his mouth to speak, _'I swear if that's anything less than an apology...'_

"Is that all the main family has to offer?" he asked in a mocking tone.

Hanara clenched her fists so tightly she could feel the warm blood trickling off her hands and onto the floor.

Neji struck Hinata on her chest without chakra and sent her tumbling onto the ground.

"What we have here is an unchangeable difference in abilities. I am an elite, you are a failure. From the moment you said you would not run, you sealed your fate. You were destined to fail and now-"

"SHUT THE HELL UP, NEJI!" Hanara yelled, causing everyone's eyes to fall on her, shocked.

There was a limit to how much crap she could listen to and Neji had just crossed it.

"Calm down, Hanara," Asuma-sensei said.

"Calm down?" Hanara asked, her voice dangerously low, "You're asking me to _calm down_? How can I calm down when _dearest cousin Neji,_ is giving _my elder sister_ killing blow after killing blow?" she questioned, before shooting a glare at Neji and turning back to Hinata, "And Hinata? Don't listen to that bastard. If being one of the _so-called elite_ means that you're an absolute dick, I'd choose to be a failure any day. You are way more impressive than he ever was, so keep believing in yourself."

"Yeah!" Naruto chimed.

"Elder sister?" Kiba asked Hanara once she was done.

"I was adopted. By my uncle."

"You should learn to keep your nose out of my business, Hanara," Neji snapped.

"D-Don't talk to Sister that way," Hinata said, gasping for breath as she struggled to get up, "She's t-taken care of you the way she would a real brother. Besides, y-your fight is with me, not her or Naruto. I won't run away, not again. Because, that is my nindo, my ninja way."

"Wow! I didn't know Hinata was that tough!" Naruto exclaimed.

"You know, she's a lot like you," Ino commented.

"Yes. She is correct," Lee said.

"Hana, are you okay?" Choji asked as everyone's attention was on Naruto.

"I will be the moment he decides to apologize," Hanara muttered, "I should probably do that soon..."

Her attention once again moved to Hinata when she sunk to her knees again, clutching her chest and coughing.

"HINATA!" Hanara screamed, sinking onto her knees as Naruto shouted encouraging words towards her sister, allowing her to find the courage to try and strike at Neji again.

Each of Hinata's strikes was becoming faster and harsher and soon Neji was struggling to get back on the offensive. Just when Hanara started to believe that Hinata could win, Neji grabbed hold of her forearm mid-strike and slammed his hand onto her jaw.

"Hinata!" Hanara and Naruto called out, worried.

The strike sent her staggering back but she didn't fall, even as she coughed. She charged in again but Neji's strike hit her first and she fell once more, coughing all the way.

"You don't get it. Your strikes were ineffective from the start. You're finished," Neji snarled.

"That bastard!" Kiba yelled as soon as it seemed like Hinata wouldn't get up.

"Neji's blow went straight for the heart..." Guy-sensei muttered, "I feel sorry for her but she won't be standing now."

"Since she is no longer-" the proctor attempted to stop the match.

"No! Don't! She's not done yet!" Naruto yelled.

"Naruto, you idiot, can't you see that's she's fainted?" Sakura asked.

"No, she's not done," Hanara smiled.

Gasps of shock escaped everyone as Hinata, who everyone thought was out cold, stood up shakily.

"I'm far from finished," the shy girl said firmly.

"Drop the tough-girl act," Neji sneered, "You're barely able to hold yourself up. You've been given a heavy burden, being born in the Main Branch of the Hyuga clan. You have cursed and blamed yourself for not being strong enough to be seen as its heir, and you know what, despite what you are trying to prove by fighting me, it will never change. You. Will. Always. Be. _Weak._ People can't change the way they are. It is what it is. Just accept what it is and move on."

"No," Hinata panted, still shaking slightly, "You're wrong brother, you've got it backwards. You see, I can tell that you and Hanara have a heavier burden than I could ever imagine carrying. You're suffering on the inside because of the fate between the Main and Side Branches of our clan. Because of what has happened between our fathers."

The last sentence sent Neji into a fit of rage and he charged.

 _'Like hell you'll harm her now!'_ Hanara thought, body-flickering.

There was a cloud of smoke that cleared to reveal Kakashi stopping Neji's stretched hand, Guy holding Neji in a choke-hold, Kurenai holding Neji's other hand's elbow while kneeling, Hayate tapping Neji's forehead-protector, and Hanara standing in front of Hinata protectively.

"Neji, get ahold of yourself," Guy-sensei said.

Hinata let out a choked sound and coughed before falling onto the floor again. Hanara hurriedly caught her and lay her on the ground.

"Hinata!" Kurenai-sensei, Naruto, and Sakura yelled, running towards her.

"Are you okay? Oi!" Naruto pestered.

"I-I..." she started coughing once more.

"Hey, you! Failure!"

Naruto turned.

"I have some advice for you," Neji smirked, "First, if you intend to be a shinobi, stop that ridiculous cheering of yours, it's irritating. Second, it would do you well to remember that once a failure, always a failure. You think that you can become Hokage? Out of everyone who has had that dream, the ones who have succeeded have always been destined for it. They were never a failure like you."

Naruto charged.

Lee intervened with pure speed while Hanara body-flickered, both of them blocking Neji from Naruto's view.

"The failure beats the gifted genius through sheer willpower, now wouldn't that be a sight to see. I had hoped that it would be me to go against him, but I wouldn't mind if it were you." Lee said.

"Don't fight now, Naruto, I know you're itching to beat him up, heck even I am, but you don't want to be disqualified," Hanara added.

Hinata let out a cough.

Kurenai-sensei glared at Neji.

"Instead of wasting your time glaring at me, I think you should get her a medic," Neji smirked.

Everyone ran off to Hinata but Hanara, leaving the two cousins to glare at each other.

"The rest of them were right," Neji snarled, "Given the choice, you would choose the Main Family over the Side. You never cared for my Father, you were different from when he joined the Side. He wouldn't choose the Main Branch."

Hanara glare intensified at those words, "Don't you _dare_ say that I never cared. I defended Hinata because she proved she wasn't her Father. If she wanted, she could have used the curse seal on you, but she didn't. I was there when she learned the hand signs for it," Hanara spat, "Of course, I can't use it anymore, but she can. She proved that she wasn't the same as her Father and you took advantage of it. I have nothing to say to you until you apologize to her."

Hanara turned around and walked back up the stairs, hoping that her teammates would give her the silence she desperately needed.


	23. The Preliminaries, Pt. 3

** Last time: **

**Hanara turned around and walked back up the stairs, hoping that her teammates would give her the silence she desperately needed.**

* * *

** Now: **

Once everyone had gone back to the viewing area and Hinata had been taken away by the medics, Hayate gave Anko the signal to start the name scrambler thing. The entire time, her teammates had been unusually silent. Choji wasn't even munching on his chips! But Hanara's mind was in a frenzy, worrying about her elder sister and silently yelling curses to her cousin.

_Beep!_

The machine had decided on the next two competitors: _Kankuro of the Sand vs Misumi Tsurugi_

But Hanara didn't notice, her mind was occupied.

Misumi had snaked around Kankuro and was about to choke him, using tactics very similar to a certain Sanin. 

But Hanara didn't notice, her mind was occupied.

'Kankuro' was apparently his puppet. The real one controlled the puppet and was making it squeeze Misumi hard enough to crush his bones.

But Hanara didn't notice, her mind was occupied.

So, when the proctor called the match in Kankuro's favour and then called out the next two opponents, Hanara didn't notice her name was one of them.

"Hana! Hana! HANARA!" Ino yelled in her ear, shaking her back and forth, "It's your match, you idiot!"

"Huh?" was her very eloquent response.

"You've been out of it for the entire match! I know you're worried about Hinata but you can't let that affect you! You're up against Tenten and if she's anything like Lee and Neji, you've got to give it your very best!" Ino exclaimed, "Now get down there and win!"

"I'm up against _who_?"

"Tenten. Now go!"

"Hanara Hyuga, are you going to participate?" the proctor asked.

"Oh! Yes sir! Coming!" Hanara called as she jumped over the bar and down into the makeshift stadium, mentally pushing any thoughts about Hinata and Neji into a box to deal with later.

"2, 4, 6, 8, who do we appreciate?" Guy and Lee cheered, "GO TENTEN!"

"Tenten, Hanara, BEGIN!" the proctor announced before jumping back and coughing.

Immediately Tenten jumped back and put some distance between her and Hanara, no doubt wary of her Gentle Fist.

"Go Tenten! We're behind you for all of this!" Lee cheered.

 _'... she didn't even do anything!' _Hanara thought confused, forcing her outward expression into a bored one so that Tenten wouldn't be able to read her easily.

Both girls stared at each other for a moment, as if daring their opponent to attack. 

After a moment, Tenten spoke, "I know you're Neji's sister but I won't hold back!" she declared, jumping into the air and throwing four shuriken at Hanara.

Hanara smirked, using her Gentle Fist training to let out a bit of Wind Natured chakra from all her chakra points to force the shuriken away from her. Her hand lay on the fan in the weapon pouch on her right thigh, ready to pull it out in a moment's notice. _'Let the games- sorry, my preliminary round -begin!'_ Hanara thought, quoting her absolute favourite book from her old life, _'Hm... I hope that they have something similar here... I'll check after this is over...'_

"I missed?" Tenten exclaimed as she landed, "That's impossible!"

"She- she missed!" Hanara heard Guy say incredulously. 

"Anyone can miss," Kakashi responded, confused.

"Yes, but Tenten has practiced on her aim so much that she now has a 100% guarantee of hitting her mark." Guy informed him, "The only way she could have missed is if Hanara interfered."

"This will be interesting," Neji muttered.

"That's our Hanara!" Ino cheered.

"Hanara's going to win for sure," Shikamaru told Naruto.

"You don't know that! What if Tenten does something?" he protested.

"You'll see."

Tenten jumped into the air again and repeated her actions, using eight shuriken this time.

Hanara released some Wind-Natured chakra from her chakra points, forcing the shuriken to miss, still looking bored.

"That takes a lot of control," Hanara heard Temari say to Kankuro, "Even I need to move my fan a bit to force something to miss, especially if it's moving with force."

After a few more times of doing this and still getting the same results, Tenten tried to do something different.

"I wanted to save this until later but I suppose I'll have to do this now," Tenten sighed.

Hanara smirked, "Finally getting serious, now are we? Good. I think I'll need this now."

Hanara pulled out the fan she was holding from her weapons pouch, opened it with a flick of her wrist, and poured some chakra into it, stopping when it was a bit shorter than herself and balanced it against her. Tenten ran in a circle around Hanara, leaped into the air, opened a scroll, turned upside down, and started spinning in a circle with the scroll twirling around her like a ribbon.

"Take this!" she exclaimed.

There was a puff of smoke revealing that she had summoned something. Hanara activated her Byakugan and saw a bunch of weapons heading her way. Internally, she groaned. _'I wish that I was used to the amount of control Rotation takes. Instead, I'll have to reveal my, arguably, most powerful jutsu and set up everyone's expectations if this goes on. Let's hope it doesn't get to that point...'_

Hanara picked up her fan using both hands, opened it all the way, and swung it, creating a huge blast of wind, knocking all the weapons to the ground.

"Forfeit," she told Tenten as she landed on her feet, "Long-range attacks won't work on me and taijutsu is useless, as you know. I don't want to harm you any more than I already have. Unless you have some ninjutsu under your belt, forfeiting is your most logical option."

"No! I'm not done yet!" Tenten yelled, putting her hand in her back pocket and taking out two scrolls.

"Then I shall go all out," Hanara responded, internally sighing once more.

"She's already using _that_?" Lee exclaimed, confused.

 _'Based on that, it's something big,'_ Hanara thought, pulling out her other fan, making it as big as her first and swinging it underneath her so that she could sit on it, preparing herself if she needed to take to the air. Tenten was making hand signs all the while.

"Rising Twin Dragons!" Tenten announced, creating a huge puff of smoke along with a blast of wind.

Hanara used the fan she was riding to escape the blast of wind she was caught in and quickly swung her other fan.

"WIND SCYTHE JUTSU!" Hanara yelled, forcing the horde of weapons to miss and instead land on the ground.

"I'm not done yet!" Tenten exclaimed, landing, flipping in the air again, and turning upside down, using ninja wire to manipulate the weapons on the ground.

"Wind Style: Wind Scythe Jutsu!" Hanara said, swinging the fan in her hand, this time blasting both Tenten and her weapons onto the ground.

Hanara shrunk the fan that was in her hand and put it back into the weapons pouch on her right thigh. She used the fan she was riding on to bring her in front of Tenten, who was struggling to get up.

"Forfeit," she said calmly.

"No! I'll handle whatever you throw at me!" Tenten responded stubbornly.

Hanara sighed and performed a Tiger hand sign, preparing to use a watered-down version of her usually high powered Air Bullets.

"Wind Style: Air Bullet" she muttered, spitting out an Air Bullet that had just enough pressure to force her to collide with the wall behind her and knock her out.

"Tenten!" Lee yelled.

"I warned her," Hanara sighed.

"As her opponent is no longer able to continue, the winner is Hanara Hyuga," the proctor declared.

Hanara jumped off of her fan and walked up to Tenten as the medics were checking her over.

"There's no need for that," she drawled, " Tenten's only knocked out. She should come to in about 10 minutes. I made sure I didn't overdo it."

The medics ignored her. A few minutes later they said the same thing.

"I'll take her up there," she responded.

Hanara picked up Tenten bridal style and carefully dropped her on her fan. While Hanara took the stairs to get back to her team, she controlled the fan and made it fly directly to Guy-sensei instead of beside her. When she passed Team Guy, she took the fan that was now floating with nothing on it and emptied the chakra in it so that she could put it in her other weapons pouch.

"She did well," Hanara smiled to Guy and Lee, completely ignoring Neji's existence, "If she had been up against anyone but me and that Sand kunoichi, she would have won. It's quite sad that luck wasn't on her side today. She would have made a good Chunin."

"She will just have to try again!" Lee said cheerfully as Hanara walked towards her team, "Tenten will train even harder to counter Wind!"

"Good job, Hanara!" Choji said, "Chip?"

"Yeah, thanks," Hanara munched on her BBQ flavoured chip.

"Hinata will be fine," Choji assured her, "If there's anything we found out from that match, it's that she's a fighter."

"Thank you Choji," Hanara smiled a sad smile as she hugged him, "I appreciate it."

"Troublesome," Shikamaru sighed.

Hanara released Choji and laughed, "What is it, Shikamaru?"

"Since you did so well, I have even higher expectations from Ino that I'll have to beat," Shikamaru groaned, "This is such a drag."

"Right! Next up is Uzumaki Naruto vs Inuzuka Kiba!" the proctor announced.

 _'Whoever decided to put those to loudmouths together was an idiot,'_ Hanara thought.


	24. The Preliminaries, Pt. 4

** Last time: **

"Right! Next up is Uzumaki Naruto vs Inuzuka Kiba!" the proctor announced.

_'Whoever decided to put those to loudmouths together was an idiot.'_

* * *

** Now: **

"YESSS! IT'S MY TURN!" Naruto exclaimed as he jumped into the fighting area.

"I hope you're ready to accept your defeat," Kiba said as he too made his way to the fighting area.

"Good luck, Naruto," Sakura smiled.

"All right, seeing as there aren't any objections, let the fifth preliminary match begin!" Hayate announced.

"Sorry, Kiba, don't take it personally if I blow you away," Naruto said.

"Ah! That's exactly what I was going to say, only not as politely. Right Akamaru?"

"Arf!" Akamaru responded as he jumped out of Kiba's sweater and onto the ground.

"Wait a second, what's the puppy doing here? Come on, isn't that against the rules or something?"

"No, like Shino's bugs, the dog is a part of Kiba. He is within the rules."

"Hmph, whatever. Fine by me. I do my best work with a handicap."

_'Ugh, is this entire match just going to be a huge trash-talk session?'_

"Aw man, Kiba's so lucky!" Choji exclaimed.

"I think you'd be surprised Choji," Hanara smirked, "I mean, this is the same Naruto that's escaped squads of ANBU after doing a prank."

And then, their attention was brought back to the match when Naruto let out a huge yell and his body hit the floor with a thud.

"This little guy is gonna be out for a while," Kiba told the proctor, "You can call the match."

"Thought as much," Shikamaru commented.

"Yeah, I thought Kiba might be too much for him, but that was fast," Ino responded

"You know, you had me believing in him for a moment," Choji said to Hanara.

Hanara shook her head, "Watch. If there's one thing Naruto is good at, it's surprising everyone and defying expectations."

As if that was his cue, Naruto forced himself to his feet.

"What! No way!" Kiba said, turning around.

Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Lee, and practically everyone but Hanara, Kakashi, and Sakura, let out a gasp of shock.

"I _told_ you!" Hanara laughed.

"Don't ever," Naruto growled, "Don't _ever_ underestimate _ME!_ "

"Heh. Seems like the kid's come a long way." Shikamaru smiled.

"YEAH!" Lee cheered.

"Yeah, yeah, more tough talk. Look at yourself in a mirror, you're a mess!" Kiba exclaimed, hiding his shock.

_'Ughhhh can we get to the actual fight already? What is this? A let's-see-who-can-talk-their-opponent's-ear-off-first competition?'_

"Come on, Akamaru," Kiba said, running in Naruto's direction with a bunch of smoke bombs.

"He's planning on doing what I did to defeat Shikamaru on our first day with Asuma-sensei," Hanara muttered as Naruto was engulfed in a bunch of smoke.

"Darn, the best part and I can't see anything!" Shikamaru exclaimed.

"Hey, Hanara-"

"Sure," Hanara cut Ino off.

 _'Byakugan,'_ she thought, putting her hands in the Tiger seal.

There were a bunch of groans coming from the smoke covered area, all of which were Naruto's.

"Basically, Naruto is being beaten to a pulp by Kiba," Hanara responded to all of the curious glances.

"... you aren't going to elaborate?" Choji asked.

"Nope!"

Naruto finally ran out of the smoke, only for Akamaru to pounce onto him, forcing Naruto right back in.

The smoke cleared, revealing Naruto lying on the ground with Akamaru beside him, wagging his tail while Kiba was on his feet, directly opposite to the two others.

"Yeah! This fight is over!" Kiba exclaimed. 

_'This isn't the end, right? He's gotta be the Number 1 Prankster for a reason! As dumb as he is, he's creative in the weirdest moments! Come on, Naruto! Kiba's too arrogant for his own good! You gotta beat some sense into him!'_

Akamaru bounded over to Kiba.

"Good doggy! Way to-" Kiba's eyes widened in surprise.

Akamaru _bit_ Kiba.

Hanara smirked, knowing that somehow, Naruto had something to do with this.

"Hey, Akamaru?" Kiba asked, shaking the arm that 'Akamaru' was on, "What are you doing?"

"Surprise! Gotcha!" Naruto laughed, dispelling his transformation.

"And _that_ is why Naruto's the village's Number 1 Prankster," Hanara smiled.

"Dang, you even smell like a dog," Naruto commented.

"You used the Transformation Jutsu!" Kiba exclaimed.

_'No shit, Sherlock.'_

"Who would have thought that Naruto's a match for Kiba?" Ino asked in shock.

"Here's Akamaru," Naruto said, taking out the puppy from inside his jacket as his clone stood up.

"To balance a transformation while using a clone as well? There's no way he should be able to do that!" Shikamaru said in disbelief.

"You know, Naruto's chakra is actually off the charts," Hanara informed, "He has more chakra than almost all the participants in the room."

"This ain't the Naruto we used to know," Choji said.

"Mhm, he's learned to use his brain for more than just pranks, that's for sure," Hanara commented.

"Naruto, if I were you, I would let Akamaru go," Kiba threatened as he tossed a food pill into the puppy's mouth.

True to his name, Akamaru's fur started turning red and shaggier. His teeth sharpened as well. All in all, Akamaru didn't look like the harmless puppy he usually was. In fact, he looked feral.

"LET'S GO, AKAMARU," Kiba yelled as the dog jumped on top of him, "MAN BEAST CLONE! ALL FOURS JUTSU!"

Kiba and Akamaru attacked Naruto over and over again, not giving him any chance to counter. Naruto was doing okay, he didn't seem very injured, but then he made a huge mistake: he jumped into the air to dodge. It was then that Naruto, for the first time, became acquainted with the technique that is known as Fang Over Fang. By the yell of pain that was let out after Kiba and Akamaru were done with him, it was clear that Naruto did not like it.

When Naruto landed, there was blood all over his face.

"I will- I- I will be Hokage," Naruto forced out as he struggled to get back on his feet.

"Come on! Do you really believe that a weakling like _you_ could be Hokage?" Kiba mocked, "You must be out of your mind! _I'll_ be Hokage!"

"Sorry but, you can forget about being Hokage. Because _I'm_ the top dog around here," Naruto growled.

"Heh. You're a real glutton for punishment, aren't ya," Kiba laughed.

Naruto grunted in acknowledgement.

"Okay, it's your funeral. Let's go Akamaru! Fang Over Fang!"

Once again, Naruto was hit- well scratched -with the Inuzuka's most painful technique.

When it became clear that one time wasn't going to cut it, Kiba threw more smoke bombs and then did Fang Over Fang a bunch of times while Naruto couldn't dodge.

But then, the smoke cleared and Naruto just picked himself up.

"I'm going to make sure you'll never get up again!" Kiba said, throwing more smoke bombs at Naruto, "Fang Over Fang!"

Hanara sighed, "Kiba better get creative soon or else Naruto's going to find a way to counter like he did before."

"Mhm," her teammates grunted.

The smoke cleared, and just as Hanara predicted, Naruto found a way to counter. He transformed into Kiba.

"Brilliant, Naruto! Way to use your head!" Sakura cheered.

"Okay..." Kiba sighed, "I see you've gotten better at the transformation jutsu. I admit, you look just like me and that threw me for a minute. But I can smell ya, kid. I know which one is you."

And with that, Kiba ran and punched the person directly across from him, "Game's over."

There was a puff of smoke and... it revealed Akamaru.

Kiba's eyes widened, "Huh?"

Hanara turned on her Byakugan, _'That's way too much chakra for a dog... smart! You're using that trick again. You are smarter than anyone gives you credit for, I'll give you that.'_

Then, Kiba turned around, and in a fit of rage, punched the 'person' behind him hard enough to knock him out.

There was another puff of smoke that cleared to reveal another Akamaru.

Kiba looked around, confused.

Kakashi smirked and turned to look at Kurenai. Or well, Hanara assumed he smirked. Stupid mask.

"Well, this _is_ coming from the class clown."

The first 'dog' that Kiba hit transformed back into Naruto and let out a battle cry, running towards Kiba. Kiba turned, but it was too late, he was kicked on his stomach by Naruto, sending him flying back to the real Akamaru.

"Who would have thought that the Naruto that we used to know could ever be that smart?" Ino asked rhetorically.

"Well, he had to be smart if he was going to get through the Forest of Death," Choji reasoned.

"The _smart_ shinobi is careful about how he uses his jutsu, dummy," Naruto smirked.

"... why do I feel like he learned that lesson the hard way?" Hanara muttered to Shikamaru.

"He probably did," Shikamaru responded.

"Hmph, I've still got the advantage here," Kiba said, "Don't get cocky."

"You should watch out, Kiba! Because I'm going to use my new super-secret killer move!" Naruto announced.

"You gotta be kidding me," Kiba groaned, " _Super-secret killer move?_ It's probably a joke!"

"Get ready!" Naruto exclaimed, putting his hands in the tiger seal.

But Kiba was intimidated enough not to take any chances. He sent a bunch of shuriken at Naruto. While Naruto was occupied with that, Kiba did his All Fours Jutsu and started attacking him.

"Smart," Shikamaru commented, "He's not taking any chances."

"He's going at Naruto so fast that Naruto can't build up any chakra to counterattack!" Ino exclaimed.

Naruto was sent to the ground time and time again, but it seemed like he was building a plan while being pummelled. When Kiba decided to attack him for what looked like the hundredth time, Naruto finally managed to counter by grabbing his hands and throwing Kiba into the opposite wall. But sadly, Kiba had lightning-fast reflexes which allowed him to land on his fours, much like a cat would.

"I _will_ be Hokage!" Naruto exclaimed as Kiba came running at him. 

That only angered Kiba further, causing his attacks to become even more brutal.

"I'm getting one thing," Choji said, "The kid doesn't give up."

"Mn," Ino gave a nod of agreement.

"With all the negative comments he gets, he kinda can't. He won't get anywhere if he does," Hanara said.

"Yeah. Naruto's like a bad cold," Shikamaru added, "No one will ever be able to shake him off."

"Enough of this!" Naruto exclaimed, "It's time to unveil my new technique!"

Naruto squeezed his eyes shut and put his hands in the tiger seal. 

Kiba ran faster than ever before until he was right behind Naruto, ready to attack.

"I've got you now!" Kiba yelled.

Naruto farted.

Kiba's nose was right behind Naruto's behind.

"ARGHHH!" Kiba exclaimed, clutching his nose and running away from Naruto's butt.

"With his sense of smell a thousand times more sensitive... Kiba's not gonna be able to get rid of that stench any time soon. I guess, disgusting as that technique was, it works," Hanara said when she saw all her teammates' jaws were dropped in disbelief.

"B-But- NARUTOOO!" Ino yelled, shocked.

"Ugh! Nasty!" Kiba said before coughing, clutching his nose.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto said, creating 4 clones that surrounded Kiba, "You beat me up pretty bad so now it's payback time!"

"H-Huh?!" Kiba said, eyes widening as he took his hands away from his nose.

The first clone punched Kiba, almost sending him to the ground. Before he could hit the ground though, three other ones kicked Kiba, shooting him up into the air, where he met the last clone, whose leg met Kiba's head.

"NA- RU- TO UZUMAKI BARRAGE!" Naruto yelled.

Kiba faceplanted onto the floor and Naruto dispelled his clones, panting.

After it seemed like Kiba wouldn't get up, the proctor checked him and announced Naruto as the winner.

"YES NARUTO! THAT'S MY TEAMMATE! WAY TO GO!" Sakura yelled.

"Unbelievable! Who would've thought he could beat _Kiba_!" Choji exclaimed.

"A _major_ upset," Shikamaru said.

"Mhm!" Ino and Hanara agreed.

 _'He must have picked up that last move by watching Sasuke,'_ Hanara thought.

 _'Beep!'_ went the screen, announcing the next match.

"Okay! The next match is Temari of the Sand vs Ino Yamanaka!"

Hanara's eyes widened, _'Ino has no chance.'_


	25. The Preliminaries, Pt. 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up, I'll be switching perspectives in this one to make it a bit more interesting.

** Last time: **

_"Okay! The next match is Temari of the Sand vs Ino Yamanaka!"_

_Hanara's eyes widened, ' Ino has no chance.'_

* * *

** Now: **

**Ino's Perspective:**

"Ino," Hanara whispered, "She's a Wind user, too. Be careful."

"Yeah, yeah," Ino brushed her off, making her way to the fighting area, where Temari already stood.

"Now, if there aren't any objections, you may begin," the proctor said.

They both stood there for a moment, sizing each other up.

"Let me just warn you. Once I start my attack, it's game over," Temari smirked.

Ino's eyes narrowed, _'Cocky, aren't we. Let's just see how good you are.'_

"Hmph. It's not healthy to think so highly of yourself," she said before running towards her opponent with a punch ready.

And then, even though Temari didn't do anything but lift the fan strapped onto her back, Ino was suddenly forced back.

_'This isn't good.'_

"So you can manipulate the Wind without hand signs then? Okay..." Ino muttered, eyebrows furrowed as she tried to come up with a plan.

 _'Dammit, coming up with plans is more of Shikamaru's forte,'_ Ino thought, _'Besides, my techniques rely on the fact that there's someone else there to help me. Unless I find a good way to trap her, I'm not going to win this match. And if she has a summon or something... I'm done for. Let's hope she doesn't...'_

"As always, you're being disagreeable, Temari," Ino heard the puppet specialist say.

_'She's like this all the time? That must mean this isn't taking any effort... Dammit! Why can't I think of anything? I use a close-range to mid-range combat, she's a long-range fighter that is capable of pushing me back. In other words, she's my worst enemy. She'll knock away any shuriken or kunai I throw at her, just like Hana did with Tenten... How can I trap her if I can't even touch her?'_

"Are you thinking about forfeiting, Blondie? It's in your best interest to do that, you know. We wouldn't want you to end up in the hospital," Temari said, forcing Ino out of her thoughts.

* * *

**Hanara's Perspective:**

"It's another win for the Sand, isn't it," Hanara sighed.

_'If Temari is good enough to manipulate the Wind without using hand-seals... Ino, you don't stand a chance. If I remember correctly, she can use the Wind Scythe Jutsu right now. If that's the case, she's right, it's in your best interest to forfeit.'_

"Yeah," Shikamaru responded, leaning onto the bars, "This is embarrassing. The Sand shinobi are all powerhouses while we... we're just a bunch of rookies with luck."

"Hey! We don't know that yet!" Naruto exclaimed indignantly.

"You wouldn't understand," Shikamaru said lazily.

"Then one of you explain!" he demanded.

"Idiot... as if I'd do such a troublesome thing," Shikamaru drawled.

"It would be better for you to just watch and learn," Hanara added.

"These guys are so hard to understand," Naruto muttered.

* * *

**Ino's Perspective:**

_'Don't let her get to you. Focus on coming up with a plan. Traps are my best shot now. What types of traps did we use for those capture-the-cat missions? Mainly Shikamaru's shadow jutsu. That's what we usually used. I obviously can't use that now but... maybe I can recreate it? What can bind people? Usually, ropes. But ropes are too obvious and I don't have them anyway. What if-'_

"Are you just going to stand around there all day?" Temari asked, annoyance seeping into her tone.

_'I got it!'_

"I can't keep waiting forever you know," she continued.

"UGH! You're insufferable, you know that? Acting so high and mighty... who do you think you are anyway?" Ino asked, her body language revealing the anger she felt, "You act like you're so special just because you can do some simple chakra manipulation. Well, ninjutsu's not the only thing that makes a shinobi, stop acting like it is! Relying on that isn't going to always save you, so cut the holier-than-thou attitude!"

"Ha!" Temari laughed, "That's funny. A little girl like you telling _me_ how to be a shinobi? You're the type of girl I hate the most. All you care about is your looks. I mean, just look at the state of your hair compared to the state of your taijutsu! You're telling me how to act when, in reality, you're the one who's got it all wrong. Acting like a pretty little princess isn't going to do anything. It's a cute little act when you've just started, but there's no way you're becoming a Chunin when you haven't realized that skills are more important than how you look. No enemy is going to be defeated when you're just sitting down and looking pretty."

"Why you- you think that I care more about my beauty than I do about being a ninja?!?!" Ino screeched, "Hmph! Well, I'll show you!" she said, using her right hand to flip her hair over and using the kunai she took in her left hand to cut off the majority of it. She calculated it perfectly, causing the fallen hair to act like a pathway between her and Temari.

* * *

**Hanara's Perspective:**

"Oh no, she's mad now," Hanara shook her head, "All sense of rationality is lost to her now."

"Yeah. If she wasn't in hot water before, she sure is now," Choji said.

"This is going to be such a drag," Shikamaru groaned, "She's going to regret cutting her hair later and that's all we're going to hear about for weeks."

"Hm... do you think I should cut my hair," Hanara wondered.

"Huh? Why would you want to do that?" Choji asked.

"All it ever does is get in the way," she responded, "Besides, if I don't cut it too short, I can keep the bangs and they'll still do their job. The only thing I'm worried about is if they'll look bad..."

"Troublesome woman. If you're comfortable, why does it matter what other people think? All you women are the same..." Shikamaru grumbled.

A light blush formed on Hanara's face, _'Aw... that was so sweet! I sort of want to hug him now. EH! Why would I want to do- oh forget it, this is all so complicated.'_

"Oh, uh, right. That's true. Thanks 'Maru!" Hanara exclaimed, "I'll do it right after the preliminaries."

"'Maru?" Shikamaru questioned.

Hanara's blush deepened, "New nickname. Do you not like it?"

"Ah no. It's nice."

"Quit it both of you. Look at the match!" Asuma-Sensei said.

* * *

**Ino's Perspective:**

"H-How?" Temari stuttered as she attempted to move her feet.

Ino smirked, "It was an act. Me getting angry at you and throwing a fit. I do it all the time anyway, so no one up there would have questioned it and accidentally give me away. I realized that I was never going to get close to you myself and that anything obvious, like kunai and shuriken, would have been blown away, so I tried to throw a fit and trap you. And what's more unthreatening than pieces of hair? So when I was ranting I was actually channelling chakra into my hair to strengthen it and use it as a rope to trap you. And now that you can't run away, I've finally got you."

Ino put her hands in the signature Yamanaka hand sign, "Ninja Art: Mind Transfe-"

Temari's hands moved faster than Ino had ever seen anyone move before as she grabbed her fan, flicked it open, and swung, "WIND SCYTHE JUTSU!"

There was a huge blast of wind that cut up everything in sight, including Ino, her clothes, and the makeshift rope on the ground. Once it cleared, Ino could see Temari smirking.

"I admit, you got me there for a moment, but what you didn't know was that, if you can control the element well enough, wind can cut through anything. Next time you want to trap someone, try to make sure that no part of them can move, not just their legs."

Ino just stared at Temari dumbly, _'I was an idiot. That rope only was able to stop her and keep her still. I should have realized that Temari could make hand signs or reach for a weapon! And seeing as her jutsu was so strong... if I don't forfeit I'll be in the hospital for 2 days at least...'_

Ino saw Temari reaching for her fan.

"Well, after that, there's no way in hell I'm letting you almost get me like that again," Temari said.

Ino sighed, _'I know when I'm beaten. I guess it's now or never...'_

She raised her hand and sighed, "I, Ino Yamanaka, forfeit."

"Okay, Temari of the Sand wins," the proctor declared, "You both can go back to the viewing area.

Ino could _feel_ the questioning looks she got as she went back up the stairs.

"Ino, you pig! How could you have forfeited just like that?!" Sakura exclaimed as she walked past her team.

"I would have lost anyway and then I'd be stuck in the hospital," she muttered as she kept her eyes on the ground.

"That was a brave move you made there," Ino heard Hanara's voice say from beside her.

"What do you mean?" Ino questioned as she focused her gaze onto her closest friend.

"It takes a lot of guts to admit when you're defeated. I'm proud of you," Hana smiled as they both made their way back to the rest of their team.

"The next match is: Shikamaru Nara vs Kin Tsuchi!"

That was all it took to snap Ino out of her depressive state.

"Yeah, Shikamaru! You better kick her ass!" Ino declared, "All you have to do is tell yourself 'I cannot lose' and you'll win! Come on! You can win this no problem!"

"I think he gets it, Ino..." Hana sighed, "But really 'Maru, listen to her. You better actually get up and do something!" 

"Just do your best," Choji said through a mouth of chips.

"What a drag..." the lazy male sighed, "Guess I better go down there then..."

_'Good luck, Shika!'_


	26. The Preliminaries, Pt. 6

** Last time: **

**_Shikamaru's Perspective:_ **

_"The next match is Shikamaru Nara vs Kin Tsuchi!"_

_ 'It's me now? What a drag. And I'm against a girl, too.' _

_"Yeah, Shikamaru! You better kick her ass!" Ino declared, "All you have to do is tell yourself 'I cannot lose' and you'll win! Come on! You can win this no problem! Yeah! Here we go, Shikamaru! Make that little girl cry!"_

_ 'When did she get so darn enthusiastic?' _

_"I think he gets it, Ino..." Hana sighed, "But really 'Maru, listen to her. You better actually get up and do something!"_

_"Just do your best," Choji said through a mouth of chips._

_"What a drag..." the lazy male sighed, "Guess I better go down there then..."_

* * *

** Now: **

**(Still Shikamaru's Perspective)**

"Oh man, this is such a drag. I mean, give me a break. I've got to fight a girl?" Shikamaru groaned as he stopped in front of Kin.

"You just keep thinking that, little boy," she snarled.

_'I know what these guys are capable of because of the second exam. Problem is, I didn't get a look at her jutsu. And to make things worse, she saw mine.'_

"Ready?" the proctor asked.

_'Oh well, nothing I can do.'_

Shikamaru and Kin nodded.

"Begin!"

"It's all I've got," Shikamaru said, putting his hands in the Shadow-Possession Jutsu's trademark hand sign.

"You're not trying that stupid shadow thing again, are you?" Kin asked, mocking him.

"Agh! Shut your mouth!" Shikamaru said, defensive.

_'Ninja Art: Shadow Possession Jutsu.'_

"Is that all you know?" Kin smirked, dodging the shadow that was coming at her, "If that's the only trick you've got, this is going to be easier than I thought!"

As she ran away from the shadow, Kin took out senbon with bells on them and threw them at Shikamaru.

Shikamaru dodged them and turned away from his opponent, inspecting her weapons.

"Bells?" he asked skeptically, "Heh. Oh please, not that old trick. Lemme guess, next you'll throw senbon with bells and senbon without bells at the same time. I'll react to the bells, and while I'm focused on dodging them, I won't notice the silent needles coming at me. Am I right? Heh. Good luck."

"You sure talk a lot, don't you?" Kin asked, not acting at all worried that Shikamaru figured out her trick as she threw more senbon at him.

_'So either that's not it or she's overconfident. With girls like her, it's hard to tell.'_

"Now I know to dodge all the senbon, not just the ones with bells," said Shikamaru, dodging everything that was thrown at him.

_Ring!_

_'What?'_ Shikamaru thought, his eyes widening in surprise, _'It came from behind me. Threads? So that's her trick. Oh man.'_

"Too late!" Kin yelled, throwing some senbon that hit Shikamaru's shoulder.

* * *

**Hanara's Perspective:**

"Shikamaru!" Ino exclaimed worriedly.

"Well that didn't take long," Naruto commented.

_'No, you're wrong. Shikamaru's crazy smart. Now that he knows her trick, he'll for sure find a way to counter.'_

"Hold on! Don't be so sure. He's not beaten yet!" Sakura said.

"Yeah! That's right. He wouldn't have put in actual effort to get this far and then just lose now. I can tell something good is going to happen." Hanara smiled.

"Huh?" Naruto asked.

Hanara sighed, "Just watch."

* * *

**Shikamaru's Perspective:**

"One inch higher and that would've been a fatal hit," Shikamaru commented.

_'So she doesn't have an amazing aim. Still, that was scarily close.'_

He let out a small _tch_ as he pulled out the senbon in his arm.

"Okay, now I get a turn."

"Sorry, that was your turn," Kin smirked.

_'Damn she really is getting on my nerves. You don't underestimate your opponent no matter how bad they may seem. I mean, Naruto's match was proof of that. Does she not learn anything?'_

_Riiiiiiinnnng!_

_'Oh man, now the sounds echoing...'_ Shikamaru thought just before he started feeling disorientated. _'What the- what's going on?'_

Shikamaru fell to his knees. His legs were no longer able to hold him up.

"You see, you don't ever ask 'for whom the bell tolls' because it tolls for thee. This bell sends off a peculiar sound vibration that travels to the outer and inner ear and then directly to the brain." she said, ringing the bell, " First comes paralysis, and soon you'll start hallucinating," she smirked sadistically.

Shikamaru's eyes widened and he clamped his hands over his ears, trying to stop the sound.

"It won't work," Kin informed, "You can't stop the sound once it's inside your head."

_'No! Now I'm seeing a whole army of her. How can I tell which one she is?'_

"You can't move your arms or legs, and even if you could, you wouldn't know which one of us to throw your shadow at." her voice echoed, "Face it, you're caught, little man."

All of the Kins lifted a hand with three senbon in it, "I'm going to cook you nice and slow over a hot fire."

"Ugh. You think it's that easy, huh?" Shikamaru said as he glared at Kin with a ferocity usually not seen from the Nara.

She threw the senbon.

"Argh!" he groaned as the senbon hit the arm he used to try and block them.

"That was three. Next time, I'll throw five. Each time a couple more until you end up looking like a hedgehog," the kunoichi smirked.

"Stop playing games, why don't ya," Shikamaru's glare intensified.

"Hm? Don't like my slow and painful method?" Kin asked, mocking him.

"If you're so tough, then get it over with. Stop wasting my time."

"Fine, suit yourself. We'll do it the quick way then. Quick _and_ painful, that is," Kin said, holding up a handful of senbon.

But, when Kin tried to throw the senbon, she found that her hand couldn't move.

* * *

**Hanara's Perspective:**

_'Yes! Way to go, Shika! I knew you had something up your sleeve!'_

"Wow, I haven't seen Shikamaru this mad in ages," Ino commented.

"H-How did he find a way?" Sakura asked.

"He might not seem like much but Shikamaru's crazy smart. Once you get him motivated, there's practically nothing that can stop him. And this girl's made the mistake of getting him mad. There's no way Shikamaru's going to lose after that." Choji informed.

"Couldn't have said it better myself, Choji," Asuma-Sensei smiled.

* * *

**Shikamaru's Perspective:**

_'I've got her now.'_

"Heh. Looks like my lame shadow jutsu was a success after all," Shikamaru said, getting up.

"But you haven't thrown any shadows! I made sure of it!" Kin panicked, looking all around her.

"No way. You don't see it?"

"What do you mean?!"

_'She doesn't take in her surroundings, does she.'_

Shikamaru sighed, "Look at that thread you're holding. Isn't it strange that something of that height is casting a shadow?"

He stretched the shadow until it was completely covering the area between him and Kin, making it even more obvious that he got her.

"'Course you didn't notice it," Shikamaru smirked, "You were more focused on other things, like killing me."

"The shadow! Spreading out around me!" Kin's eyes widened, "And I didn't see it coming!"

"Right. I stretched my shadow along that thread and followed it back. Now I'm attached to you."

Shikamaru raised his arm, forcing Kin to do the same, although she was resisting it.

"Now we mirror each other's movements. So what? A cute trick, but what do you gain by it?"

_'Like I'll tell you. I don't want you to try and make this more troublesome than it should be.'_

"Man, you're annoying. Shut up and watch," Shikamaru drawled.

He opened up his weapons pouch and took out one of his shurikens. Kin mirrored his movements.

"You must be insane!" she exclaimed, "If you throw that shuriken at me, you'll just be attacking yourself!"

"Makes things kind of interesting, doesn't it?" he smiled, putting his arm in position.

"You wouldn't! You couldn't!"

"Yeah. Like a game of chicken. Let's see who ducks first!"

He released the shuriken at the end of his sentence. Kin did the same.

"You're crazy!"

When one of the shurikens reached Shikamaru, he bent backwards, dodging it. However, when Kin mirrored his movements, her head hit the wall and she was knocked out.

"And that's what I call using your head," Shikamaru said, flipping back onto his feet, "The wise shinobi carefully scouts out the layout of the battlefield and never loses sight of his position on it. That was her problem. I made sure she was so focused on beating me, she didn't notice the wall inches behind her head. So when she dodged backwards, _kaboom!_ Now, who's hearing bells?"

"I declare Shikamaru Nara as the winner of the 8th match!" the proctor announced.


	27. The Preliminaries, Pt. 7

** Last time: **

_"I declare Shikamaru Nara as the winner of the 8th match!" the proctor announced._

* * *

** Now: **

**Shikamaru's Perspective:**

"Whoo-hoo! Way to go Shikamaru! I knew you could do it!" Ino yelled.

"Good job, Shikamaru!" Hanara cheered.

Shikamaru sighed and walked back to his team as the medics took care of Kin.

_'This is all so troublesome. Now I have to participate in the hardest round where all sorts of people will come to watch. If I pass and become a chunin, I'll get even more work, but if I fail, I'll get it from everyone. Why did I agree to this?'_

_Beep!_

"The next match is between Rock Lee and Gaara of the Sand!" the proctor announced.

"Phew! I'm glad I didn't get either of them," Choji sighed.

"Yeah... but now you're for sure up against that Dosu guy," Hanara said.

"I know his tricks, I'll find a way to counter," Choji smiled.

* * *

**Hanara's Perspective:**

"YES! IT WORKED! I KEPT SAYING IT WAS NOT MY TURN AND NOW IT IS!" Lee celebrated.

"YOSH! LET YOUR YOUTHFULNESS SHINE IN THIS MATCH, LEE!"

"YES, GUY-SENSEI!"

"Go down to your opponent, Lee," Neji said.

"OH YES, OF COURSE!"

"Now that both opponents are here, let the ninth match... BEGIN!" the proctor said, jumping back.

Immediately, Gaara sent his sand to Lee. Lee jumped into the air and dodged before landing back onto the ground and running back to his opponent, engaging him in taijutsu. Only, Lee couldn't land a single hit, the sand kept blocking him.

"Is that..." Sakura asked, tone filled with disbelief.

"Sand?" Ino questioned.

"Hm... seems like all the Sand shinobi are pretty strong," Shikamaru commented.

"Yeah, no kidding," Hanara agreed.

_'He's an unstable jinchuriki with Shukaku's sand manipulating abilities? Yeah, no thanks, I don't want to ever go against him.'_

"I'm going to go get some info," Hanara said, noticing Kankuro beside Naruto, "See ya!"

"So, what are Lee's chances in beating Gaara in taijutsu?" she asked, appearing beside Naruto in a puff of smoke.

"The sand shields and protects Gaara of its own accord. Gaara doesn't have to do anything. No one's ever broken through it, either. No matter how good this Lee guy is, he doesn't stand a chance." Kankuro smirked.

"Blood!" Gaara snarled.

"He's mentally unstable for sure," Hanara whispered to herself, "No sane person can be that bloodthirsty..."

Gaara's sand caught Lee's foot mid-attack and threw him against the wall opposite to it.

_'Dammit. Lee, he's a mentally unstable jinchuriki. If things get too bad... I know it's against your shinobi way but, you should forfeit. Maybe I should tell Guy? But... most Byakugan can't tell if someone's got sealed chakra in them, I'm guessing. Otherwise, Naruto would've been found out years ago. I don't want to reveal that my Byakugan is more suited to in-depth searches than scanning large areas. The elders might make the clan do things to me or even say it's not the 'true' Byakugan and- no they wouldn't do that. Besides, Lee's life is on the line, I should tell Guy. Hm no, I'll tell Kakashi and leave it up to him. I'll ask Kankuro just to be sure, though.'_

Hanara moved beside Kankuro and muttered under her breath, staring at Gaara with her Byakugan on and comparing his chakra to Naruto's, giving him one final scan to confirm her hypothesis, "He's the Sand's jinchuriki, isn't he?"

"Huh? Where'd that come from?" Kankuro asked, staring at her suspiciously.

"These eyes of mine," Hanara smiled, "Neji wasn't kidding when he said nothing can get past them. And right now, Gaara is using a bit of the One Tails' chakra subconsciously to help him manipulate the sand, making it even easier for me to detect. He's your jinchuriki. That's why you and Temari were scared of him. He's got a faulty seal too, making him more susceptible to the One Tails' influence, rendering him mentally unstable and bloodthirsty."

Kankuro's eyes widened.

Then there was a thud. Hanara saw Lee's weights in the middle of two craters. _'Guy's letting him go all out. This is going to end badly. I need to tell Kakashi now!'_

And with that, Hanara body-flickered to Kakashi.

"Kakashi-sensei!" she exclaimed, grabbing his attention, "Gaara's the Sand's jinchuriki!"

"And how do you know this?" he asked, eyes narrowed.

Hanara looked away, "My Byakugan. It doesn't work the same as normal ones do, I think. It's got a slightly smaller range than Neji's, for an example, but I can see more details, like seals and sealed away chakra. When I scanned Naruto for the first time, I saw his normal chakra but if I focused more, I could see a blurred seal design and a blurred image of a huge red chakra. I didn't put it together at first, but the more I looked into it, the more the pieces came together. When I looked at Gaara just now, I saw the same thing but it was less blurred. When I questioned Kankuro about it, he confirmed my suspicions. I think the seal's less effective or something because the One Tails' chakra is clearer." when she saw Kakashi's widened eye she quickly added, "Yes, I know about Naruto, but that's not the point! You know Guy-sensei better than anyone else here, so it would be easier for you to tell him if you think you should. If he's going to let Lee go all out, he should be confident that Lee can go against a mentally unstable, bloodthirsty, jinchuriki with a faulty seal!"

"I will have to speak to the Hokage and the Hyuga Clan Head about this later, but yes, I will inform Guy," Kakashi said, before softening his tone, "But thank you for letting me know. It might just save Lee's life."

Hanara sighed, "Yes, I suppose it is fair that you mention it to the Hokage and my Clan Head. I just ask that you make sure that it stays between the three- or four if you tell Guy -of you. I would rather Lord Hokage did not let this become a discussion with the council."

Kakashi smiled, "Yes that's fair."

"Thank you, Kakashi-Sensei," Hanara said as she walked up to Guy, Kakashi following her.

"YES LEE! SHOW HIM THE POWER OF YOUTH!" Guy cheered as Lee landed a blow on Gaara that sent him flying.

"Guy, how capable do you think Lee is of taking on a jinchuriki?" Kakashi asked.

From beside Guy, Neji scoffed, "Lee? Against a jinchuriki? He wouldn't survive!"

"Sadly, I must agree. My youthful student is not at that level yet. He knows that even his bright flames of youth are not enough against someone with a tailed beast," Guy smiled.

"Then you should let him forfeit," Kakashi said seriously.

"What do you mean? Lee is doing amazingly! He is showing off his youthfulness this very minute!" Guy exclaimed.

Sure enough, Lee was. At that very moment, he had trapped Gaara with his bandages and was in the middle of sending Gaara to the ground with the Primary Lotus.

"Gaara is the host to the Sand's tailed beast, the One Tails. You just said that Lee could not take on a jinchuriki. Sure, Lee is doing okay right now, but soon, he will exhaust himself and Gaara will be out for his blood," Kakashi said, "You can allow him to show off his skills but if he is in a bad position, you must interfere."

"How do you know he is a jinchuriki," Guy asked, oddly serious.

"Hanara had a suspicion and his teammate confirmed it," Kakashi answered.

Hanara shot Kakashi a grateful look, she didn't want Neji to know of her weird Byakugan just yet.

"Gaara's just toying with him!" Hanara realized as Lee was forced to the ground by the sand. It seemed like the Primary Lotus took a lot out of him.

_'He had so many chances to just trap him and be done with it but he isn't! This is the type of opponent I hate the most and no doubt the type of opponent that Lee faces most. How does he handle it?'_

"Yes! Lee's able to move as fast as before now!" Sakura exclaimed.

Kakashi's eye narrowed, "That boy can use the Eight Inner Gates, can't he?"

Guy nodded, "That's right!"

"That's amazing! If he had been up against anyone else..." Hanara trailed off, amazed. Anyone who was interested in becoming a taijutsu master at one point and was serious about it had heard of the 8 Inner Gates.

"Guy-sensei! Please allow me to-"

"No, Lee!" Guy interrupted, before closing his eyes and sighing, "I am afraid that you cannot use that-"

Guy's eyes widened. Gaara had sent his sand towards Lee, who was focusing on his sensei. Hanara looked to where Guy's eyes were and gasped. Gaara's sand was making it's way to Lee's legs.

"Sand Co-"

Guy was in front of Lee, blocking the sand.

"But why save him?" Gaara asked, looking genuinely confused.

"Because he's- he's my student," Guy replied, "And also because he's precious to me."

"Guy-Sensei, why? I have not finished, I have more inside me than that!" Lee exclaimed.

The proctor, realizing that Guy might have wanted to answer that in private, interrupted the conversation, "Due to outside interference, Rock Lee is disqualified. Gaara of the Sand is the winner of the 9th Preliminary Round. Please clear the area."

Gaara walked back to his sensei while Guy and Lee were conversing in hushed whispers. Hanara thought she'd never see the day, but it came.

Hanara sighed as she walked back to her team, _'Lee has lots of potential. If he were up against anyone else it would have been an immediate win. I'm sorry I caused Guy to cut in, Lee, but I think, that if you had gone all out, Gaara would've ruined your career or even killed you.'_

_BEEP!_

_Dosu Kinuta vs Choji Akimichi_


	28. The Preliminaries, Pt. 8

** Last time: **

_Dosu Kinuta vs Choji Akimichi_

* * *

** Now: **

**Hanara's Perspective:**

Choji's face lost the confident look it had before Lee's match.

"If you win this, I'll get you some free BBQ at Yakiniku Q," Asuma-Sensei bribed.

"Free BBQ? You're on!" Choji said as he walked into the fighting area, "Wish me luck!"

"Good luck," Hanara smiled.

"You can do it!" Shikamaru yelled.

"Fatso!!!!!" Ino cheered.

Hanara could see Choji's eye twitching at that last comment.

"Now let the tenth match begin," the proctor said.

"Okay, I'm going to finish this match in about two seconds and then I'm coming after you, Ino!" Choji yelled.

"Fine, Fatso," Dosu snarled, "If you want this match to end quickly, I'll just win it quickly."

"Grr... you're gonna go down, you mummified weirdo," Choji growled.

Hanara sighed, _'Ninja and their obsession with trash-talking.'_

* * *

**Choji's Perspective:**

_'I know his techniques all too well from my last battle with him. Those holes in his arms let out a pulsing sound. Shino blocked them but I can't do that. Hana said something about her wind ninjutsu disturbing the sound. I can use that. If I can't hear it, it won't affect me. The only problem is, we lost the earplugs in the forest. I need to figure out another way.'_

Choji smiled, "NINJA ART: EXPANSION JUTSU! NOW THE HIDDEN LEAF STYLE TAIJUTSU!" Choji's arms, legs and head all went inside his clothes, "VROOM! VROOM! VROOM!"

_'This will block my ears from his attacks! And crush him while I'm at it!'_

"HUMAN BOULDER! CHUBBIES RULE!"

"Yeah! All right, Choji! You can do it! Squash him hard for me!" Ino cheered.

"Smart thinking, Choji! Good job!" Hana yelled.

* * *

**Hanara's Perspective:**

_'That guy doesn't even need to touch Choji to hit him with a powerful sonic attack. But they only work when Choji's ears are showing. Combine that with all the rolling Choji's doing and boom! Choji's not at all affected by that one-trick pony! Choji can win this thing!'_

Choji smashed himself into a wall.

_'I forgot, Choji can barely control himself... ugh! This could go anywhere...'_

Dosu smashed his arm into Choji's lower back.

"Now, to _end this!_ " Dosu exclaimed.

"It's no use, my ears are covered~" Choji sang.

_'Wait... the human body is 70% water. Water can transmit sound waves, that's why I didn't want to use my water attacks in the forest. In other words, the whole body is one huge ear for Dosu's attacks!'_

"Shit! Choji, get out of there!" Hanara yelled.

"What's wrong," Shikamaru asked.

"Water can transmit sound waves!" she exclaimed, "The human body is 70% water!"

Dosu turned on his sound wave machine. Cracks were forming on the wall that Choji was stuck in.

Choji was screaming.

A 'poof' signified Choji's jutsu releasing and when it was cleared, it revealed Choji faceplanted onto the ground.

"Seeing as Choji cannot continue, I declare Dosu Kinuta the winner of the tenth Preliminary Round." the proctor announced.

The medics rushed up to Choji.

"Are you okay?" a male medic asked.

"I want.... meat," Choji forced out.

 _'Oh Choji...'_ Hanara smiled fondly, _'He'll be just fine.'_

"The opponent went easy on him," Shikamaru muttered.

"Well, unlike last time, they weren't aiming to kill. Choji also got the nicest one." Hanara responded.

"He lost, but I guess I'll still take him to Yakiniku," Asuma-Sensei smiled.

The proctor cleared his throat, "That concludes the preliminary matches. Those of you who have won your matches, please stand in a line here."

Hanara was the last one down and stood at the end of the line beside Shikamaru.

"Congratulations to you all," the proctor said before coughing, "Now Lord Hokage will explain to you what the third round is all about."

"In the final round, each of you will put your battle skills on display, " Lord Third said, "You will demonstrate the power and control you achieved during your time as Genin. Accordingly, the final battles will take place a month from now."

 _'Good. I don't want to do anything else for a while,'_ Hanara sighed.

"Wait! Why can't we just do it here and now?" Naruto asked.

_'Nobles need time to come here. Besides, we have to train so we can give them a good show.'_

The Hokage said as much.

"What do you mean by that?" Dosu asked.

"Simply this: in addition to announcing the conclusion of the preliminary matches to each country's leaders, we must also have enough time to prepare and distribute summons for the final selection. Not to mention that you examinees need time to prepare for something this important." 

"Look, I don't get what you're trying to say. What's the point of all of this?" Kankuro questioned.

Hanara mentally groaned, _'He explained this before the preliminaries started. What's wrong with you guys? Can't you pay attention? After all this dramatic stuff I want to just go home and move to Hikaru's house until Naruto unjerkifies Neji.'_

"Oi! Can't you guys pay attention," Hanara sighed, "Making the Hokage say this all over again is what's really pointless. What Lord Third means is that we need to prepare for the next round so that each of us can properly represent our countries and show off. Show each other who's superior and all that jazz. Besides, why _don't_ you want extra time to prepare? I mean, now that the prelims have happened we all know each other's tricks. If we're going to be predictable it'll take the fun out of everything."

"Correct on all points Hanara, although, I would have liked to put that in more polite terms," Lord Hokage smiled, "Please remember to rest as well. Since that is out of the way, I would like to do something important for the final round."

"Let's get on with it then!" Naruto exclaimed, "I mean, how long do I have to wait until I can train?"

The Hokage ignored him, "In a calm, orderly, fashion, all of you will choose a piece of paper from the box Anko is carrying."

"Everyone, stay where you are. I'll come to you," Anko said, walking to the other end of the line.

After Hanara took out the last slip of paper, Ibiki said, "Good. Now that you all have one, read out your number from left to right."

"Nine," Dosu said.

"Number one, of course," Naruto cheered.

"Eight," Temari announced.

"Five," Kankuro read.

"Three," Gaara muttered.

"Two," Neji said.

"Six," Shino told Ibiki.

"Seven," Shikamaru sighed.

"Ten," Hanara smiled.

"And that means Sasuke has number four," Ibiki said.

_'If this means I'm against Dosu, this will be a piece of cake!'_

"Right. Now I will tell you how the final selection tournament works," Lord Hokage said.

"Is that what the numbers are for," Shikamaru asked, "Drawing lots?"

Lord Hokage ignored him. Huh, he's doing that a lot.

"Ibiki, you may reveal which ninja have been paired up," the Hokage said.

Ibiki flipped over his clipboard so it was facing us, revealing what he was drawing.

The first match was Naruto vs Neji, the second one was Gaara vs Sasuke, the third match was Kankuro vs Shino, the fourth match was Shikamaru vs Temari, and the fifth match was Dosu vs Hanara.

_'Seriously, I have to do an extra match against whoever wins the fourth one? Ughhh, I might have to go against Shika...'_

"Man, what a drag," Shikamaru sighed, "I might have to do one extra match..."

"I have a question," Hanara said.

"What is it?" Lord Hokage asked.

"If this is a tournament, does that mean that only the winner gets to be a Chunin?" Hanara questioned.

"No, not at all," Lord Third smiled, "There are going to be several judges including myself, the shinobi leaders, the Kazekage, and the lords from various countries who will be assigning missions to you. Through this tournament, the judges will be making a thorough evaluation of your abilities. They will then decide if any or all of you have the necessary qualities to make you a Chunin. So even if you lose in the first round, you could potentially become a Chunin."

"But that could also mean that none of us become Chunin," Temari said.

When Lord Hokage nodded, Shikamaru sighed, "What a drag..."

"Does that answer your question, Hanara?" Lord Third asked.

"Yes. Thank you, Lord Hokage."

"I thank you all for your patience. Let us all adjourn until next month," Lord Hokage said, effectively dismissing us.


	29. A Realization

Once Hanara was outside the tower, she immediately ran up to Asuma-Sensei, who was talking to Kurenai-Sensei.

"Asuma-Sensei, I-"

"I have to borrow your little Genin," Kakashi said from behind Hanara.

Asuma shot him a confused look.

"Lord Hokage wants to speak with her," Kakashi explained.

"Oh, okay then..." Asuma-Sensei responded, still looking extremely confused, "Meet us tomorrow for regular team training, okay Hana?"

"Yeah, sure."

Kakashi then proceeded to Body Flicker both of them to the Hokage's Office where Jiraiya and Lord Hokage were speaking to each other.

_'Tagging along to someone else's Body Flicker is a weird experience...'_

"Good. Now we just need to wait for Hiashi. I assume you know why you are here?" Lord Hokage asked Hanara.

"Naruto," she responded.

"Yes."

There was a tense silence in the room which was broken by Hiashi entering.

"Now that we are all here, why don't you explain what happened?" Lord Hokage asked.

"Oh, um... okay," she said, looking down at her hands, "In the Academy, I was sometimes told to spar against Naruto. Sometimes, we were allowed to use chakra, so I used my Byakugan against him. His chakra network was... _weird_. I could see his normal chakra but if I looked closer, I could see a faint red chakra that almost looked malicious. There was a lot of it and it was almost like it was straining against some invisible barrier. I thought it was some kind of bloodline limit so I started to read about the Uzumaki. I found a lot of things, like how almost all of them had been killed in the Second War. What seemed most interesting to me was that Mito Uzumaki was the wife of the First Hokage. That didn't make any sense to me. Why would the villagers treat Naruto so horribly if he was somehow related to the First Hokage? Why do they call Lady Tsunade a princess but call Naruto a demon? Then, I remembered one well-known fact: Mito Uzumaki was the jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails. No one knew what happened to it after she died. So, what if the Fourth Hokage decided to seal it into an orphan when it attacked twelve years ago? It would make more sense than him somehow killing something that was made purely of chakra. It would clear up why the villagers kept calling him a demon. So, that's how I figured it out. I wasn't completely sure until I looked at Gaara and asked Kankuro though..."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Jiraiya asked.

"Well, no one talked about it all that much so I assumed there was a law or something that prevented them."

"You said you saw the Nine-Tails' chakra. That shouldn't be possible. Even our clan's strongest Byakugan users can't see it." Lord Hiashi said.

"I don't know why or how I can see it," Hanara sighed, "My Byakugan was never really strong when it came to seeing far. It took me a lot of training and overuse for me to even see as far as I can. I could always see things in more detail than Neji could, though. It never made sense to me."

"I see," Lord Hokage said, looking thoughtful, "No one else will be able to find out, right?"

Hanara and Hiashi nodded.

"If I find that you have told someone else or talked about this, you will be killed, understood?" he asked, leaking out some Killing Intent.

Hanara hastily nodded, "Yes, Lord Hokage."

"You will also only tell Naruto you know if he asks," he added.

"Right."

"Now that's cleared up, all of you may leave. Do not speak of anything that happened here."

"Yes, Lord Hokage," Kakashi, Hiashi, Jiraiya, and Hanara chorused.

* * *

Once Hanara got to the Hyuga Compound, she decided to visit Hikaru. He was a Special Jonin now and he had moved out of his mother's house, too. Hanara wouldn't have even considered living with him if he hadn't. Hikaru's mother absolutely hated it when Neji and Hanara fought over who got to choose the meal. If she got to know that they were fighting over _Hinata_ well... it wouldn't go over well.

When she got to Hikaru's house however, there was a note on his door. It read: _Am on an urgent mission. Apologies for the inconvenience. Will be back on the 23rd of July. -Hikaru Hyuga_

Hanara sighed, _'Looks like I'll have to put up with a cranky Neji then. Hikaru's only coming back in 3 weeks. This will be a long month.'_

The walk to her home was uneventful. Most of the Hyuga clan spent their time in the compound inside their homes so the streets were empty. The inside of her house was empty as well. 

_'Guess Neji decided to hit the training grounds immediately. Well, all the better for me. I can plan without any interruptions.'_ Hanara thought as she walked into her room.

Hanara's eyes searched the room like they always did. One of the first things Asuma-Sensei drilled into her mind was being aware of her surroundings and making sure nothing was out of the ordinary. Of course, not much could get past a clan full of people with a near 360° range of vision but you never knew. Today was the first time Hanara saw something out of the ordinary. 

There were two extra scrolls on her desk.

Hanara cautiously made her way towards them and scanned them with her Byakugan. The first one seemed normal but the second one was nearly bursting with chakra. So, she did the smart thing and opened the first scroll.

**_Hello, Hanara Hyuga. Or should I say, Hana Lashi? Now, now, don't panic. I am Cierva. My brother, Ciervo, and I are the ones in charge of animals._ **

Hana snorted. Cierva and ciervo were part of the bits of Spanish she still remembered. _'Doe and Stag are the ones in charge of animals? That is so ironic.'_

**_Kamatayan was the one who first spoke about you and you peaked our interest. Since then, we have been watching you. You have been taking things slowly in this new life. Being cautious. Trying not to make too many ripples. I can appreciate that, but, testing the waters for twelve years is not something you should do. You are not living this life to the fullest. In fact, the way you are living is not living at all._ **

**_I am aware that you are partaking in the Chunin Exams. The second scroll is the summoning contract for phoenixes. It may help you, but there is a catch. You will not be able to summon them immediately after you sign it. When you finally make a decision that is not influenced by your prior knowledge, a decision that you made for you, a phoenix will appear. Depending on the situation, it may be a battle phoenix. Once a phoenix appears in front of you, you will be allowed to summon the phoenixes at will (provided you agree to any conditions they may set, of course)._ **

**_Use this as a warning. Twelve years is too long. The past is in the past. It would do you well to remember that. I hope that allowing you to keep your memories was not a mistake._ **

Hanara closed her eyes and sighed, _'As much as I hate to admit it, they are right. I started off here hoping to make a change. Then, I grew too afraid. I thought that I might make things worse, so I tried to make things stick to canon. I need to just live. I shouldn't be so scared. I should just enjoy my time here and stop being so paranoid. As the French say (said?) que sera, sera. Whatever will be, will be.'_

With that in mind, Hanara opened the phoenix summoning contract, bit her thumb, and signed it with the blood she just drew. 

_'At least now I have a wild card.'_ Hanara thought, staring at the darkening sky behind her bedroom window, _'I wanted to start writing up some battle plans but looks like I better sleep. It's been a long day._


	30. Training

The next day, Hanara went to Training Ground 4 a bit earlier than usual. Asuma-Sensei trained before he trained them so she knew that he would be there.

"Asuma-Sensei!" she called.

He turned, "Hanara? Why are you here so early?"

"I have a question for you," she said.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Do you know anyone who knows how to use chakra threads and would train me this month?"

"Hmm... chakra threads, huh? Sorry, I don't think I do. Why do you want to use them?" 

"It's just, most of our team's strategies rely on Shikamaru trapping our opponent and then me or Choji finishing them off. If I used chakra threads and a clone, I could do both myself instead of trying to make different strategies for the exam."

"Huh. That's a good idea. I think that if you go to the International Techniques section of the Shinobi Library you should be able to find some instructions. You probably will have to make some stuff up on the way but if you watched that puppeteer with your Byakugan active, copying the way he moulded his chakra should make things easier," Asuma-Sensei advised, "We'll be doing endurance and stamina training as well as chakra building exercises on Fridays so come over then. Sorry I couldn't be much help."

Hanara smiled excitedly, "No you were amazing help! Thanks, Asuma-Sensei!"

* * *

The next six hours were uneventful. Hanara was just practicing using chakra threads, the Gentle Fist, drinking water, or eating. Chakra threads were used by creating wire-like threads out of chakra from your fingertips and controlling them. To use that technique, you need to have above-average chakra control, but thankfully, Hanara had that. The Gentle Fist made sure of it. Seeing as she needed to also shoot chakra out of your fingertips for the Gentle Fist, Hanara was progressing quite fast in the 'Creating Chakra Threads' bit of her training. The 'Controlling Chakra Threads' bit... not so much. 

However, now she was bored out of her mind. There was only so much training you could do before you either collapsed or stopped putting in effort. Neither of those options didn't seem very appealing to Hanara. Collapsing just causing lots of pain and is just plain unnecessary while not putting in the effort is just a waste of time.

_'Maybe I could go drag Ino to the hot springs with me. If she isn't there I could go get... Sakura maybe? Hinata? Nah, both those options would just be plain awkward. Tenten, then? Okay, it's just sad that I only have one girl friend. Let's hope Ino is available...''_

The walk to Yamanaka Flowers was uneventful as all the people Hanara knew were usually training at 15:00. When she opened the door to the flower shop, she was greeted by the startled face of Ino.

"Oh hey, Hana. Sorry, I didn't see you there," Ino said sheepishly.

"I could tell," Hanara deadpanned.

"Anyway, what are you doing here," Ino asked as she stepped back inside the shop, allowing Hanara to step in as well.

"Can't a girl visit her friend?" Hanara questioned innocently.

"You never do that. You're obviously here for a reason," Ino said, shaking her head, "So what is it?"

Hanara sighed, "Fine. I did come here for a reason, but it _was_ to hang out with you. I wanted to ask you if you'd go to the hot springs with me."

"Okay, sure! That's a great idea! Only for an hour though. Dad wants to train with me later."

* * *

**_At the hot springs:_ **

The girls were relaxing in peaceful silence when out of nowhere, Ino looked at Hanara, confused, "Why me? You usually ask someone else to hang out with you."

"I may have just realized you're my only female friend," Hanara mumbled.

A huge grin formed onto Ino's face, "Sorry, come again?"

"I may have just realized that you're my only female friend," Hanara repeated, louder this time.

Ino burst out laughing, "Oh this is _priceless!_ I feel so honoured! Out of all the girls in the Leaf, the great Hanara Hyuga is only friends with me!"

"Shut up," Hanara muttered, cheeks flushed.

"Oh, no. I'm holding this over you until you make some other ones and I'm telling them this, too!" Ino chortled.

Hanara playfully pushed Ino, "I hate you."

"Love you too!" she smiled.

"Well I mean, doesn't it make sense? Most of the girls are clueless Sasuke fans that only talk about him. You're decent about it now, and thank goodness for that. And then there's Lady Hinata and Tenten."

"I just don't talk about him in front of you too much," Ino protested, "Sasuke is still amazing! Not that you'd understand, with your crush on Shikamaru."

"That's tr- wait what? What crush on Shikamaru? What are you talking about?"

"Asuma-Sensei told me all about how you guys were acting during my match. I can't believe you didn't tell me!" Ino exclaimed.

"I mean, sure I get flustered sometimes around him and want him to pay attention to me, but that means nothing!" Hanara defended.

"That, my child, is the literal definition of a crush," Ino said.

"It is not! I refuse to believe that I have a crush on Shikamaru and that is that!"

"Denial~" Ino sang.

Hanara sighed, "I won't be able to change your mind."

_'Do I really have a crush on Shikamaru? I mean, I've never had a crush before and it would make everything clearer...'_

"Damn straight!" Ino said happily.

The girls sat and chatted for a while, enjoying the soothing sensation that the hot springs provided before reluctantly, dragging themselves into the changing room.

"Man, we should do this after a mission instead of stuffing ourselves at Yakiniku Q," Ino sighed.

"Don't let Choji hear you say that," Hanara laughed, "You know how he-"

"Hey, you Pervy Sage, stop staring at the girls and _teach me!_ " a male voice yelled.

"PERVERT!!!" the girls in the hot spring squealed.

Ino's eyes narrowed, "Hanara, what's happening?"

_'Byakugan!'_

"There's Naruto and some old dude behind the gate on the east side of the hot spring. Seems like the old dude was spying on us," Hanara relayed.

"Oh, he won't know what hit him," Ino growled as she cracked her knuckles, "Hurry up and lead me to him."

Hanara obediently led the way, half afraid for the Toad Sannin's life and half eager to see him get what he deserved. If she wanted to stop Ino, all she needed to do was mention that Jiraiya was a Sannin. Anyway, who was she to get in the way of Ino's revenge?

Soon, the Toad Sannin was in sight.

"-help me with this at all! Everyday, it's the same thing! You just perv on girls until they disappear! It's so-" Naruto was yelling before Ino interrupted him by punching Jiraiya from behind.

"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, PERVING ON US LIKE THAT?" Ino yelled.

Hanara slowly walked towards Naruto. This was gonna be interesting.

"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT! I SHOULD REPORT YOU TO THE HOKAGE! WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO RELAX IN-"

Hanara stopped listening and shot a sheepish glance at Naruto. Ino was just voicing the same things Hanara was thinking.

Hanara rubbed the back of her neck, "We were changing back into our clothes when we heard the girls scream. Thought we should teach him a lesson."

"Hey, aren't you in the finals? Shouldn't you be training?" Naruto asked.

"I was taking a break. I don't have the stamina to train for days straight," she told him before turning to Ino, "INO! You might not want to kill one of the Sannin even if he isn't fighting back. As the Yamanaka heir, you wouldn't want that on your record. And, you do have training to get back to."

"EH! He's the Toad Sage?" she asked incredulously, backing off, "He's just an old pervert!"

"Oho!" Jiraiya exclaimed as he stood up, acting like he hadn't seen Hanara yesterday in the Hokage's office, "I see someone recognizes me. You have an eye for greatness!"

"No, I just have a brain," Hanara snorted.

"Hehehe," Ino chuckled nervously, "I'm just gonna go now... bye!"

And Ino was gone.

"Hm... since you're here, do you think you can help me with something?" Jiraiya asked.

"I guess," Hanara shrugged, "It depends."

"I want you to check Naruto's chakra network when he tries to do the summoning jutsu."

"Pervy Sage!" Naruto whined, "You can't just go and give my new technique away to someone who's going to participate! Besides, you wanted me to use _that_ chakra!"

"She already knows about that," Jiraiya said nonchalantly.

"Wait, you knew?" Naruto turned onto her, "How?

Hanara tapped the corner of her right eye with her right hand, "Now, I'm going to let you in on a secret that you can't tell anyone, got it? Just like I can't tell anyone about the Nine-Tails."

Naruto nodded, uncharacteristically solemn.

"My Byakugan's weird, it can see through seals. The first time I scanned you with it, I saw two chakras. I did some research and came up with a hypothesis saying that you were the Nine-Tails' jailer. It was only confirmed yesterday," Hanara said honestly.

"And... you don't think I'm a monster?" he asked, sounding vulnerable.

Hanara narrowed her eyes, "Of course not! You're annoying, loud, and sometimes stupid, but you were never cruel! You never did anything that the Nine-Tails would. In fact, you're a hero! You saved the village by being there just in time for the Fourth Hokage to seal it in you! If it weren't for you, the village would be destroyed!"

"Y-You're right, y'know! Thank you!" Naruto said, smiling. He ran up and hugged her.

Hanara's eyes widened, "U-Um..."

_'I'm so glad Shikamaru doesn't give impromptu hugs. If he did, I'd be fainting everywhere just like Hinata. Dammit, Ino. Now that I'm aware, everything's gonna be even weirder!'_

Jiraiya cleared his throat, "Naruto? We have to get back to training."

Naruto immediately released her, "Right! Back to training!"


	31. Gaara of the Sand

Hanara had been training like nobody's business for the past month and had finally mastered the art of using chakra threads and making them invisible. In the process of doing that, she mastered Rotation, finally used to the amount of chakra control needed. She had also been going out of her way to avoid Shikamaru whenever possible. She had finally accepted her feelings and luckily, was not fainting and turning as red as a tomato whenever Shikamaru was around, unlike her twin. Still, she was not going to let Shikamaru have any sort of hint that she might have a crush on him. She would tell him only if it seemed like he liked her that way. There's no point in embarrassing herself and ruining their friendship.

Right now, Hanara was grocery shopping. Even if Neji _was_ acting like an ass, she didn't want him to starve. And well, she didn't want to starve either. Sadly, she must have jinxed her fate because when she entered the fruit aisle, she saw Shikamaru.

_'Why is he here? He never shops for groceries!'_

As she walked past him, she internally prayed, _'Don't notice me, don't notice me, don't not-'_

"Hi, Hana," Shikamaru said as he dropped three apples inside his basket.

_'Dammit. Okay then, act normal.'_

"Hey 'Maru! I've never seen you buying groceries yourself before. Did your mom somehow convince you to finally do it?" Hanara teased.

"Heh. Surprisingly, no. Choji's in the hospital. Indigestion. He ate one short rib too many I guess. So is Naruto, actually," Shikamaru said, "Thought I'd get Choji something nice to eat when I visited. Want to come?"

_'I'll sound mean if I say no.'_

"Somehow, I'm not surprised," Hanara sighed, "Sure, why not. Neji can buy groceries and cook for himself if he wants food. God knows he needs to learn somehow."

"Okay, just let me pay first," Shikamaru said, walking to the cash register.

Hanara nodded and made her way to the exit.

_'All right Hanara, you can do it. Shinobi hide their feelings and act on missions all the time! Just think of it like that!'_

A few minutes later, Shikamaru finished paying and they both walked out of the store and to the hospital.

They were walking in tense silence before Shikamaru sighed and stopped walking.

"What's wrong with you?" Shikamaru questioned.

"W-What do you mean?" Hanara asked, startled.

_'I am so not acting normal.'_

He sighed again, "I mean, why have you been avoiding me and Choji?"

"I haven't!" Hanara protested.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered, "Whatever's wrong, just remember that you can talk to us, okay?"

_'Why does he have to act so sweet??'_

"Huh? Okay, then?" Hanara said, acting like she was confused.

Shikamaru shook his head, "Don't bother, I can tell when you're lying. Let's just go and visit the hospital now."

"Y-Yeah, let's."

_'Way to go, Hanara. Now he thinks you don't trust him.'_

* * *

**_At the hospital:_ **

Shikamaru and Hanara made their way to the receptionist and asked for Choji's room.

"It's number 329. You might not want to bring those fruits, though. He isn't allowed anything but fluids for a few days." the lady said.

"What a drag," Shikamaru sighed, "What about Naruto Uzumaki? Is he?" 

"He should be fine eating them, but he isn't awake yet. He is supposed to be waking up any second now. He was out for three days because of chakra exhaustion." the lady responded.

"What's his room number?" Hanara asked.

"322," said the lady. 

"Thank you for your help," Shikamaru said as he and Hanara walked to the stairs.

"You're giving these to Naruto then?" Hanara asked when they exited the third floor's stairwell.

"Yeah," Shikamaru nodded, "It would be troublesome to bring it home. My mom would make me shop for groceries all the time."

_'You're just being nice, don't deny it.'_

They entered Naruto's hospital room to find the boy sound asleep. There wasn't much in the room, just a bed, two chairs, a small closet, and a bedside table that had a shogi set on it.

"Want to play?" Shikamaru asked, gesturing towards the shogi set.

"You know how much I suck," she groaned, "You always beat me!"

"Eh, you'll only get better with practice," he shrugged.

Hanara sighed, "I have nothing better to do anyway."

They had played three rounds of shogi (all of which Shikamaru won) before Naruto woke up. And since Hanara's mind was elsewhere, Shikamaru noticed Naruto first.

"So you finally decided to wake up, huh?" Shikamaru drawled.

Naruto shot up from his bed, "Where am I? What is this?"

"Hospital," Hanara said, "They said that you were out for three days because of chakra exhaustion. I _told_ you that training for the entire day is a bad idea."

"Three days??? Three days straight???" Naruto exclaimed.

Shikamaru looked startled, "Uh yeah, more or less."

"Oh man, I'm supposed to be training with Pervy Sage!" Naruto panicked, "This isn't good, I'm supposed to be learning new jutsu! That stupid toad! Ahhhh!"

_'I take it he finally managed to summon something and it went bad.'_

"When does the final competition begin?" Naruto asked urgently.

"Tomorrow," Hanara responded, "Now you-"

"What?" he yelled, grabbing the front of Hanara's shirt, "Are you crazy? Why didn't you wake me up sooner? I can't be lying around at a time like this! I have to go and get ready! And Pervy Sage! Where's Pervy Sage? That old coot is supposed to be helping me!"

"Hey, calm down! I don't know what you're talking about!" Shikamaru exclaimed, looking scared.

Naruto let go of Hanara and started pacing, completely ignoring Shikamaru, "Where are my clothes? I have to get ready! Oh come on, where did they put them?"

That's when Hanara lost it and used invisible chakra strings to immobilize Naruto, not caring that she may have given away her trump card to Shikamaru. 

_'He would've found out before our match anyway.'_

"AHH! I CAN'T MOVE! WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME!" Naruto yelled.

"WOULD YOU CALM DOWN!" Hanara screamed.

Naruto stopped freaking out.

"Good," she said, relaxing her fingers and releasing her chakra threads, "Now you can move. But _listen._ You don't want to be freaking out the day before a competition. Right now, it's better if you rest."

Naruto nodded. Then, he made a face.

"Huh? Are you okay? Is something wrong?" Hanara questioned, worried.

"I'm starving," Naruto said. As if on cue, his stomach growled.

"That's all?" she exclaimed.

"Man, you had us worried," Shikamaru sighed before reaching for the fruit basket and placing it on Naruto's bed, "Here. I went through all the trouble of buying this for Choji and then the doctors told me that he can't have it. At least we can eat it."

"Choji? He's in here, too?" Naruto asked.

"Nothing to worry about, it's just a small case of indigestion. He ate one short rib too many," Shikamaru said.

"I should've figured," Naruto laughed, "That's just like him."

"Yeah," Hanara agreed, "Well, you're just lucky that we're here. Otherwise, you wouldn't have any visitors. I didn't even know you were here until 'Maru told me."

"You're being oddly quiet since you became a ninja. No pranks or anything," Shikamaru added as he tossed Naruto an apple.

Naruto moved to take a bite and then stopped.

"What is it now?" Shikamaru asked.

Naruto smirked, "Let's eat it in front of Choji, it'll drive him crazy."

Hanara laughed, "That's so mean."

"I like it," Shikamaru grinned.

* * *

They were walking down the hallway when Hanara noticed a bit of sand out of room 325.

"Stop," she told the boys urgently, holding out her right hand. They listened.

 _'Byakugan,'_ she thought scanning the room. Her eyes widened.

"Shit," she swore, running to the room, "Shikamaru, get your shadow ready."

Hanara flung the door open and rushed inside, attempting to catch Gaara with her chakra threads and stop him from murdering Lee. Gaara used some hardened sand and blocked her strings and Shikamaru used that as a distraction, letting him catch the jinchuriki with his shadow.

"What the heck do you think you're doing here, you rat?" Naruto asked angrily, "Bushy Brows is just sleeping! Don't you think you've done enough to him?"

Naruto tried to punch Gaara but his sand blocked him.

"Go easy, Naruto. I'm using my Shadow Possession so when you bash him, you're bashing me, too," Shikamaru 

"Oh, sorry," Naruto said, backing off.

"Out with it. What were you trying to pull?" Hanara demanded, putting a hand on her hip.

Gaara stayed silent.

"Well? Are you going to tell us or do we have to force it out of you?" Naruto questioned.

 _'As if we could,'_ Hanara internally scoffed.

"I was going to kill him," Gaara said in a toneless voice.

"You already beat him in the competition, wasn't that enough? Do you have a grudge against him or something?" Shikamaru asked in disbelief.

"You know, I think he does," Hanara said, "I bet where he's from, they allow him to kill whomever he wants and no one intervenes because they're scared of him. He has a grudge against Lee because someone stopped him from killing Lee."

"I do not," Gaara denied, "I have nothing against him, I simply want to kill him. Is that so hard to believe?"

"You know what, you're sick in the head! You're crazy!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Yeah, you think we're just going to stand here and let you do whatever you want?" Shikamaru questioned angrily.

_'He gets better, doesn't he? Either way, I feel bad. The life of a jinchuriki isn't a happy one, no matter where you're from.'_

"If you don't stay out of my way, I'll have to kill you three as well," Gaara said.

"Oh really? Let's just see you try it!" Naruto yelled, pointing at Gaara.

"Hey! Woah, Naruto! Take it easy!" Hanara exclaimed.

Naruto sighed and put his arms down.

"Yeah, we watched your match and we know you're tough, but we were holding back, too. Naruto, Hanara, and I have a few tricks up our sleeves. We've seen what you've got but there are things about us that you don't know yet. On top of that, it's three against one. It's in your best interest to leave." Shikamaru bluffed.

_'That's smart and all but there's just one huge problem. By telling him all this, you're implying that you see him as a threat. There's no way he's going to back down now.'_

"I'll say it once more," Gaara drawled, "If you don't get out of my way I'll kill all of you."

"And I'll say it again, let's see you try it!" Naruto dared Gaara.

"Back off, will you? We don't want to go there! This guy fights like he's possessed! Like he's a demon or something!" Shikamaru said, pulling Naruto back to them.

"Yeah? Well, he can act like a demon all he wants, I'm still the only one that's got the real thing inside me!" Naruto growled.

"Thing is," Hanara told Naruto, "You aren't. Gaara's got a demon inside him, too. And it's as real as yours." she turned to Gaara, "It's the One-Tails, isn't it? Shukaku, the Sand Spirit. Or as you call it, Mother. It doesn't matter though, because Naruto's is no doubt, stronger. I bet Shukaku can feel it. That's why it must be telling you to kill Naruto now. It doesn't want a threat to its power."

Shikamaru and Naruto stared at Hanara with wide eyes that were demanding answers.

 _'I'll tell them later,'_ Hanara decided, _'Now's not the time.'_

"She is correct," Gaara rasped, "My demon is as true as yours, Uzumaki. As she said, it is the One-Tails, Shukaku. Even from birth, my upbringing was not what one would consider a happy one. To ensure that I would become a strong shinobi, my father performed his ninjutsu on me before I even left the womb, infusing a sand spirit inside of me. When I was born, I destroyed the life of my mother. I was born a monster. It is said that Shukaku, is the living incarnation of an old Sand Village monk who'd been sealed up in a jar of tea."

"That must have been some kind of demonic jutsu. Man, what a swell guy your dad must have been. He must have loved you a lot to have sealed such a thing inside of you," Shikamaru said sarcastically.

 _'Is that what he thinks of Hiashi, then?'_ Hanara thought curiously.

"You speak of love," Gaara scoffed, "Don't measure me by _your_ standards. Love. Family. The only emotional ties I have towards my family members are the ones I'd like to wrap around their necks. They're only ties of hate. Despite being given life by the death of my mother, I was brought up being nurtured as the salvation of the village. I was Kazekage's child, my father taught me the innermost secrets of shinobi. He pampered me and protected me, yet left me to myself. For a time, I thought that was love. But then, it started."

"What happened?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yeah, what started?" Naruto questioned.

_'Why are you explaining your life story to strangers?'_

A crazy grin spread across Gaara's face, "Ever since my sixth birthday, my father tried to have me murdered more times than I care to count."

"You just said your father pampered and protected you. So which is it?" Shikamaru asked.

"Those who become too strong are apt to become hated. The jutsu that my father used on me unbalanced something in my mind. Even the fools in my village realized that I had emotional issues. My father, the Kazekage, created me as the ultimate weapon, but I soon became a threat to the very village I was meant to save. By the time I was 6, I became a figure of terror to the villagers. To them, I was a relic of the past that they wanted to forget. So, you see, I failed at the one purpose that had given me life. Why go on living? For a long time, I couldn't find an answer to that, because, to live, one needs a purpose. To exist for no reason is the same as being dead," Gaara said.

_'I get that. In my old world, I think I wanted to be a police officer. That was what gave me a reason to get up and go to school. Then, here, I wanted to make a difference, at least save one life before I left. When I got too scared, I wanted to keep things the same. And now, I think if I survive everything that happens, doing whatever I can to save people, I think I'd want to be a Jonin-Sensei.'_

Shikamaru didn't seem to understand, "What is this guy talking about?"

Naruto's eyes glazed over like he was having a flashback, and he took a step back.

Shikamaru, noticing that asked, "Hey, Naruto, what's wrong? Wake up!"

Gaara shot some sand at Naruto, "Now, let me feel alive!"

Panicked, Hanara body-flickered in front of Naruto.

 _'Dammit, I don't know what I should do. I really should learn Wind Barrier or Water Wall. So many things to learn! I don't know if Rotation would work but, best to give it a shot and hope it defends Naruto.'_ Hanara thought as she got into the Gentle Fist stance.

"Incoming," Shikamaru yelled as his shadow lost its hold.

"Okay! That's enough!" Guy-Sensei yelled from the door, "Save it 'til tomorrow, that's when the final competition begins. You'll just get disqualified, is that what you want?"

Gaara glared at Guy-Sensei as his sand went into its gourd and he walked to the door. 

Just before he left, he said, "All the same, I will kill you. I'll kill you all, just you wait."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I, your author, have never had a crush so I'm just portraying Hanara's feelings the way I assume a crush is like and combining it with how books describe them. If anyone has advice, I'm begging you, please help me. I am so lost!


	32. The Third Exam, Pt. 1

The next day, Hanara was in the fighting arena that the third exam was going to take place in. She was standing in a line and was in-between Shino and Shikamaru, just to be able to say she wasn't avoiding him. Hanara looked through all the examinees and narrowed her eyes.

_'Naruto, Sasuke, and Dosu aren't here. I wonder what happened.'_

"Your opponent isn't here," Shino commented.

"Mn," Hanara nodded, "If he doesn't come here soon I may be given an automa-"

There was a huge _thud_ that made Hanara cut herself off. She turned to see what caused it and saw Naruto face-planted in front of the entrance.

"What the heck did he get into this time?" she mumbled under her breath.

"Oh man, what a drag," Shikamaru sighed.

"Ahhh! Guys, run! You won't believe this, but there's a huge herd of stampeding bulls coming this way!" Naruto yelled as he forced himself onto his feet.

"Yeah, you're right, Naruto. I don't believe it," Shikamaru said.

"Naruto, think for a second," Hanara told him, "Do you hear them? No. They might have been chasing you but the ninjas at the front would've taken care of them."

"Oh that's true," Naruto said before his eyes took in the other competitors, "Hey, where's Sasuke?"

Shikamaru shrugged, "No clue."

"Yeah, that Sound ninja, Dosu, is missing too," Hanara informed them.

"Hey, quit the fidgeting, you three," the proctor _(Hey, where's that Hayate dude?)_ demanded, "Stand up straight and present yourselves proudly to the spectators."

Hanara straightened herself up after checking herself over. She had decided to ditch the bandages on her forehead today, instead opting to tie her forehead protector there. It made her feel a bit different but was overall more comfortable. She didn't have to deal with the metal bouncing on her collarbone every time she ran.

"Welcome to all!" the Hokage announced, standing up from his seat at the top of the stadium, "Our deepest thanks to you for coming to the Village Hidden in the Leaves for this year's Chunin Exams. We have reached the final competition which will be between the nine candidates that have made it this far. We ask that no one leaves until the competition is complete. Now, everyone enjoy!"

_'Nine competitors? Is it Dosu or Sasuke that won't make it?'_

The proctor turns to face the competitors and pulls out a slip of paper, "I'm Genma. I'll be your proctor today. Look over this piece of paper, there's been a slight change in the matchups. It's set now, though, so take one last look at the matchups."

_'Everything's the same except I'm fighting whoever wins Shikamaru's match first instead of fighting Dosu. What happened to him?'_

"Uh, Mr. Genma, question," Naruto said, raising his hand.

"What is it?" Genma asked.

"I was wondering, what will happen to Sasuke if he doesn't show up?" Naruto questioned.

"If a candidate is not here by the time their match comes up, they forfeit the match," Genma responded.

You could hear Naruto's gulp.

Genma then addressed all the contestants, "Listen up! The terrain is different but the rules are the same as the preliminaries'. That is, that there are no rules. The match will continue until one of the candidates acknowledges defeat or dies. That being said, if I think a match is over, I will step in and end it. No arguments allowed, understood?"

They all nod in affirmation.

"Okay, the two contestants for the first match, please stay here. The rest of you may go to the waiting area," Genma said.

Hanara nodded again and made her way up to the waiting area.

* * *

"Do you have something to say?" Neji asked, seeing Naruto's glare.

"I already told you before," Naruto growled, "I'm going to win, so just give up!"

"It's more worthwhile to fight you and see your face of defeat once you lose," Neji smirked.

"Stop talking so much. Let's begin already!" Naruto yelled.

Seeing that as his cue, the proctor announced, "Naruto Uzumaki and Neji Hyuga. Your match will begin _now_!"

Naruto immediately shot three kunai at Neji but after seeing that he caught them all, engaged Neji in a taijutsu match.

 _'I would say that's useless but taijutsu is all that Naruto's got,'_ Hanara thought, sighing as she watched Neji defending against Naruto's assault with ease.

Neji struck two of Naruto's chakra points and sent Naruto flying back.

_'Isn't that a bad tactic, Neji? You thrive in close-range combat.'_

Naruto jumped back onto his feet and said, "I was just testing your abilities! The real match starts now! Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Naruto created 4 copies of himself and used them to attack Neji.

"Is that all he has?" Temari asked from behind Hanara, "Those clones?"

_'When did she get there?'_

"No, he has some other stuff but those aren't going to help against Neji. Shadow Clones are a Jonin-level skill and are good at lots of things because they're solid. To use them, you have to distribute chakra evenly, so Neji won't be able to tell easily which one is which. It's actually an extremely useful technique," Hanara told her, "With Naruto's creative mind, he may come up with a way to beat Neji."

She turned her attention back on the match just in time to see Neji dispelling the last clone.

"You'll become Hokage, eh?" Neji sneered, "That won't be possible if this is the extent of your skills. I can tell most things with these eyes. Talent is decided when one is born. In other words, one's destiny is decided when one is born. One's limitations and skills are set and unchangeable. Only a fool wastes their time trying to become something that they can never be."

Hanara narrowed her eyes, _'Sometimes I wonder how I managed to not go insane with him in the same house as me.'_

"A fool, huh? Not that crap again. Who are you to judge what a person can or cannot be?" Naruto growled.

"Do you think that just anyone can be Hokage? That all it takes is a little hard work?" Neji mocked, "Open your eyes! Of all the shinobi in the Leaf, think how few ever become Hokage. They were born destined to be Hokage. It's not something you become merely by trying to become it. They were chosen by destiny. Each person has been given their own path to follow and they must follow it obediently to the end. The only destiny that we all share equally is... death."

_'Then why did you bother looking through the scrolls I sneaked out of the Main House's library when I left? Whether you like it or not, you're going against your own beliefs, Neji.'_

* * *

**Hiashi's Perspective:**

_'Those eyes are filled with hatred. He still holds a grudge against the Main Family as I expected. If Neji is like this, how must Hanara feel, I wonder?'_

* * *

**Hanara's Perspective:**

"So?" Naruto asked defiantly, "So what? You can believe that all you want, but I'm Naruto Uzumaki and I just don't know when to give up! Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

This time, Naruto created enough clones for a miniature army and they all charged at Neji.

_'Naruto would be a good Academy teacher. He could just spam a bunch of clones and give all the students one-on-one time.'_

Neji forced over half of them to dispel, and when there were only seven left, he said, "I already told you, I'm not that stupid."

He ran past six of them and hit the seventh one in the chest, "This one is the real you. The one that attacks less because it's afraid that its chakra points will be pressed. The more the rest of you attack me, the easier it is to find the real body."

Naruto forced the rest of his clones to disappear as he spat out blood, "This is why I told you to stop jumping to conclusions."

Neji's body tensed up and the 'real' Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke. When Neji turned he saw two Narutos attacking him. Neji smirked and built up chakra in preparation for Rotation, stopping Naruto's attacks. He spun and Naruto was sent flying back.

_'Like I thought. You learned a Main Branch technique and yet you still preach about 'fate' and 'destiny'. When will you realize that only_ **_you_ ** _can choose your destiny.'_

"W-What was that?" Naruto asked, looking afraid.

Neji gave a mocking smile, "Did you think you'd won? You must be an even bigger fool than I thought."

"Don't underestimate me!" Naruto exclaimed, creating six more clones and attempting to make them circle Neji.

With one Rotation he sent them flying, causing all the clones to disappear in a puff of smoke.

"Shit," Naruto swore as he pushed himself up.

"This is the end," Neji said slipping into his Gentle Fist stance, "You are within my field of divination. Gentle Fist Art: 8 Trigrams, 64 Palms!"

_'You do realize that could kill someone, don't you, Neji. If I didn't know Naruto could take that and then some, I would be ashamed to even be related to you.'_

"64 Palms!" Shikamaru exclaimed, "When I took 32, I couldn't move! At least not until you undid the effects. Is he trying to kill Naruto?"

"Like I said, Naruto has a ton of chakra, and it's different from normal people's. Neither of them knows it, but the Gentle Fist style won't work on him," Hanara told Shikamaru.

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed, "This has something to do with what happened yesterday, doesn't it? Something about how he was saying he has a demon inside him."

"Yes. No. Maybe? You take your pick. I'm not allowed to say, but I'm sure you'll figure it out soon," Hanara said.

There was a _thud_ and when Hanara looked at the arena again, she saw Naruto lying on the ground and Neji panting heavily.

Genma muttered something under his breath.

_'He's not going to call the match, is he?'_

"I pressed 64 of your chakra points," Neji informed a shaking Naruto, "You won't be able to stand up anymore. I'm honestly surprised you're still moving. Vexed? You're kneeled down in front of a fate that can't be changed and you finally realize you're powerless. Proctor, call the match."

Genma opened his mouth to say something but saw Naruto staggering to his feet.

Neji stared at Naruto incredulously, "You- impossible!

Hanara snorted, "It's just his fate to get the one ninja that Gentle Fist won't work on."

_'I told him to try some ninjutsu or genjutsu but he didn't listen. Look where that got him.'_

"I told you," Naruto forced out, "I'm not good at giving up.

"Just stop. It's going to be the same result even if we fight again. I don't have anything against you personally, anyway," Neji sighed.

_'Hm. Could've fooled me.'_

"Heh. That's touching," Naruto smirked, "Because I've got plenty against you."

Neji stared at Naruto looking genuinely confused, "I don't understand what you mean."

"You don't? And here I thought you were Mr. Know-It-All. You don't remember what you did to Hinata?" Naruto spat, "How you tore her up with those mind games of yours even after someone who considered you a brother told you to stop? How even though Hinata worked _so damn hard_ to get here, you made her think that she wasn't worth a thing?"

"Never mind that," Neji said, "None of those things concern you."

"It does concern me when you hurt my friends!" Naruto exclaimed, "You mocked Hinata, calling her a failure. All that stuff about the main and branch families are a load of crap! It doesn't give you a right to decide who's a failure and who isn't! That's what I've got against you!"

"Fine. If you're so interested, I'll tell you all about the Hyuga Clan's heritage of hatred," Neji said, taking off his Leaf forehead protector and revealing his seal, "For generations, the Main Household of our clan practiced a secret ninjutsu known as the Curse Seal Jutsu."

Hanara squeezed her hands into fists and shut her eyes, _'Why? Why is he telling his life story to Naruto in front of nobles and all sorts of important people? Am I the only person that finds this weird? Honestly, why is he telling anyone at all? Does he hope to make Naruto go easy on him or even give up?'_

"Curse Seal Jutsu?" Naruto echoed.

"The Curse Seal symbolizes a bird locked in its cage. It's the mark of those bound to a destiny they cannot escape, no matter how big its wings grow. I was four when the leader of my clan put this symbol on my forehead using the Curse Seal Jutsu. On the same day, a great celebration took place. After many years of war, the Hidden Cloud Village signed a peace treaty with the Leaf. Everyone was there to greet our old enemies, everyone but the Hyuga Clan. That day was the third birthday of the heir to the clan and her twin, Hinata and Hanara."

Hanara could feel the eyes of all the contestants on her and determinedly avoided eye contact with everyone, instead focusing on the match, _'Neji, shut up. That's my story to tell, not yours. You can tell him all about your father, but I'm the only one who should be able to tell my fate.'_

"Their father, Lord Hiashi Hyuga, is sitting up there," Neji said, looking at the spectator's area, "He had a twin too, my father. But, because he entered the world first, he is the Clan Head while my father was banished to a lesser branch."

"Then, Hanara?" Naruto asked, eyes wide.

 _'Neji you better stop talking right now,'_ Hanara thought, glaring at her cousin, _'It's my story to tell, dammit! You have no right to announce it to the world!'_

"The same thing happened to her." Neji said before continuing with his story, "It was the day of their third birthday that my uncle branded me with this seal, but not before he did it to Hanara, and disowned her, too."

_'Why the heck are you dragging me into your sob story, Neji? Do you understand what respecting privacy means?'_

"You and this clan of yours," Naruto started, "What's the point of it all? Why have a main family and a branch family? And this weird curse seal, what's that mean anyway?"

"You see, this is more than some decorative mark that we wear," Neji explained, "It is also the tool they use to keep us in place. We live in fear that the Main Family will use the seal to turn our brains to jelly anytime they wish. Fear is what we live with, and we live with it every day. Only in death are we free of it. This is how they keep the power of the Byakugan sealed away. The Hyuga are the only ones who have this power and so, of course, many wish to steal it from us. That is the reason we, the Branch Family, exist. It is the purpose of the Branch Family to defend the secret and serve the secret keepers, the Main Household, obediently and without question for eternity. That was my destiny, and I was okay with it until they went too far and murdered my father."

_'He did it by choice, or that's what I remember. I'm forgetting a lot of things... I should've written up that list when I had a chance. It wasn't murder, it was suicide.'_

"It's not right, what he's doing," Hanara muttered bitterly, "He's revealing village secrets to paint himself as the good guy."

"Someone should tell him to stop," Shikamaru's voice said from beside her.

Hanara jumped in surprise and let out an 'eep!'.

She sighed, "If I do it, they'll chalk it up to brainwashing or something..."

"Is he what's been bothering you this month? You still live together, right?" Shikamaru asked.

_'Well, you're not wrong. Neji has been bothering me this month, but that's not the reason I was avoiding you. If I nod, I'm not lying...'_

Hanara sighed and stared at her feet, "Well, he was being a bit of a jerk to me this month."

"Why were you avoiding me and Choji then? You could've just stayed with one of us or Ino this month." Shikamaru said.

_'You'd think interrogating me would be too troublesome, wouldn't you.'_

"I didn't want to be a burden," Hanara mumbled. And it was true, that was the reason she didn't go straight to Ino's house after seeing that Hikaru was unavailable.

Shikamaru sighed, "Troublesome woman. You're our teammate, you'll never be a burden."

Hanara's eyes widened and she blushed, _'That's so sweet! I want to hug him so badly right now...'_

But she didn't, because Naruto's groan of pain caught her attention.

_'So Neji finished telling everyone his sob story, huh?'_

"Proctor, call the match. It's over," Neji said.

"Loser," Neji spat at Naruto, turning away from him.

"I won't... run away," Naruto forced out clutching his left shoulder, "I never go back on my word. That's my nindo."

"I've heard that before," Neji scoffed, "And look where that got her."

"I won't lose to a guy like you," Naruto declared, "You're just running away from your fate or whatever."

"Everybody is born with a fate that can't be refused," Neji said, glaring at Naruto, "A guy like you won't ever understand what it's like to have a seal that you can't get rid of for the rest of your life!"

Hanara scoffed, _'Oh, Naruto understands that better than you'd imagine.'_

"Yeah, I do," Naruto replied, "And I'll say it again. So what? It's only going to define you if you let it. Don't act so 'cool', you're not special. Hinata has been suffering just like you've been. And whether you know it or not, you've been defying your fate. Even if this is just an exam, you're still the Branch member that's supposed to be defending the Main Family. Yet, you still nearly killed Hinata. You were trying so hard to escape your fate-" Naruto got cut off as he spat out some blood.

"64 of your chakra points are closed." Neji told Naruto, smirking, "How are you going to fight? In that condition, you won't be able to channel chakra in a while. Even after all your talk, you still are going to suffer the same fate as Lady Hinata."

Naruto glared at Neji and put his hands in the Tiger seal.

"I told you, that's useless. Your chakra points are blocked off," Neji said, "Why are you trying so hard to go against your fate?"

"Because I was called a loser!" Naruto yelled as he finally started to channel the Nine-Tails' chakra.

Something within Shikamaru's mind must have clicked, "That's what he meant by, 'I'm the one with the real thing inside me'. He has a tailed beast inside him, so blocking off his chakra points were no use. If I had to guess, it would be the Nine-Tails. The Fourth was known around the world as a sealing master and the Nine-Tails is made of pure chakra. Him sealing it in a baby makes more sense than it being defeated. His birthday is the day of the attack. It all fits! I'm right, aren't I?"

"Well, whatever it is," Hanara started, "There's a law in place that stops people from talking about it. You're going to have to take it up with him or the Hokage."

Shikamaru sighed, "Basically, I'm right and you can't say so."

"Maybe?" Hanara tried.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered.

The Nine-Tails' chakra started to affect the environment around Naruto, making the wind howl.

"I'm coming!" Naruto yelled.

Naruto started throwing shuriken at Neji but one Rotation was enough to stop them all.

_'Naruto's finally using his head, but he's using it at the wrong time. If I remember correctly, if someone touches the Nine-Tails' chakra, it burns them. Close-range combat is the best thing for him right now.'_

After a good minute of shuriken throwing from both sides, Naruto stopped and pulled out a kunai, running towards Neji.

"Once I become Hokage, I'll change the Hyuga for you!" he declared as his kunai met Neji's.

The whole stadium started to shake and a dust cloud enveloped the fighting arena

_'Is that the result of the Nine-Tails' chakra meeting normal chakra?'_

The cloud cleared to reveal to smoking holes. One had a conscious Neji, staggering to his feet on it while the other had a knocked out Naruto lying on it.

Neji walked up to the unconscious Naruto, "Loser, sorry, but this is reality. This truly proves-"

Everyone gasped.

Naruto jumped out from below Neji, uppercutting him. Neji was sent flying and the 'knocked out' Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"I can't move my body," Neji choked out.

"In that situation, you quickly did the Shadow Clone Jutsu. It is your favourite jutsu. Ultimately it was my carelessness that led to my downfall," Neji said when Naruto walked up to him.

"You know," Naruto said, "I failed the Academy Graduation Test three times, and it was all because of this one jutsu I just couldn't do. It was the Clone Jutsu," Naruto laughed, "Clone Jutsu was my worst skill but now look where I am. All I'm saying is, don't whine about how fate is unchangeable or stupid stuff like that. You're not a loser, unlike me."

"Winner of the first match is Naruto Uzumaki," the proctor announced.


	33. The Third Exam, Pt. 2

** Last time: **

_"Winner of the first match is Naruto Uzumaki," the proctor announced._

* * *

** Now: **

Everyone cheered. Naruto, unused to all the positive attention started running around the stadium and blowing kisses. Neji was taken to the medical area by the medic-nin. Once the applause died down and Naruto made his way to the contestants' area, Lord Hokage's guard came down to speak to Genma.

Genma nodded and said, "Because one of the contestants is not here, the next match will be postponed. Shino Aburame and Kankuro of the Sand please come down."

Shino was about to go down the stairs, but Kankuro forfeited.

_'Why? Shino's bugs and your puppet would have made for an interesting fight.'_

Genma let out an annoyed sigh, "All right, Shino Aburame is the winner. The next match is between Temari of the Sand and Shikamaru Nara."

_'Well, that'll be interesting...'_

Hanara smiled at Shikamaru, "I know it's not as ideal as it was before because the sun isn't as lower as you thought it would be, but don't you dare forfeit. Actually try, please."

Shikamaru sighed, "What a drag..."

"Yeah! All right, Shikamaru, what are you waiting for?" Naruto yelled, "Get down there already!"

And then Naruto pushed Shikamaru off the railing, causing him to face-plant into the arena.

Hanara turned to Naruto, "Was that really necessary? Now the crowd thinks he's some pushover, literally."

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck and laughed sheepishly, "Well, he's down there now."

"And he's getting trash thrown at him," Hanara deadpanned.

She looked back into the arena and saw a scowl on Shikamaru's face.

_'Oh no. Please don't get petty now. You have what it takes to be a Chunin, don't give it up because the nobles are suckers for important clan names. I'm not saying that Nara isn't an important clan but... you get what I mean. Well, I mean yeah, because I'm talking to myself but- okay imma shut up now.'_

Temari banged her fan against the ground, "What is it? You planning on giving up, too?"

Shikamaru's scowl deepened and Hanara laughed, _'I can literally read his thoughts right now. He's probably bitching because his opponent is a girl. If he beats this girl, he'll get another girl, me. He should probably stop being so sexist, boys can be troublesome, too.'_

"Come on! Come on! Get up and fight!" Naruto yelled, jumping, "Get it together, Shikamaru! You gonna get going sometime this year?"

Temari glared at him, "Well if you won't move, I will!"

"Hey, I didn't start the match yet," Genma told her, annoyed.

Shikamaru sighed grabbing two kunai, "I forgot, this girl's a spunky one. I hate spunky..."

Temari jumped down onto Shikamaru, her fan closed, and she smashed her fan against the ground where Shikamaru had been.

"Woah!" Naruto exclaimed.

There was a dust cloud that cleared a moment later, revealing Shikamaru nowhere in sight.

Hanara let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, _'Good, he's safe.'_

Hanara turned on her Byakugan and found Shikamaru standing on top of two kunai that he must have stuck into the wall, looking as lazy as ever. _'Smart.'_

"It really doesn't make a whole lot of difference to me if I ever become a Chunin a lot," Shikamaru drawled, "But I guess I shouldn't let myself be beaten by a female. So, let's do it."

Temari growled, picked up her fan, and swung it, creating a dust cloud. Hanara saw Shikamaru running to the trees, where there was shade and more shadows. _'I'm guessing he's going to try and stall as much as he can to lengthen the shadows or lure her into the shadows, depending on how smart she turns out to be.'_ Sadly, it seemed like Temari realized that Shikamaru was attempting to lure her into the shadows because she didn't try and come close to him. 

Hanara turned her attention back to Shikamaru and saw him staring wistfully at the clouds. She sighed, _'Not this again...'_

* * *

**Shikamaru's Perspective:**

Shikamaru sighed and stared wistfully at the clouds, _'Sometimes I wish I was a cloud, just floating along, going wherever the breeze takes me. That's my style. I'm just not into putting effort for stuff. The only reason I even became a ninja was so that I could do whatever I wanted. Geez, who knew it would be so much work?'_

Shikamaru took his eyes off the clouds and looked at the hole Naruto made when he got that last hit on Neji, _'Troublesome. Oh well, a guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do.'_

* * *

**Hanara's Perspective:**

"Get your butt in gear!" Naruto yelled, "Let's go, Shikamaru!"

Hanara shook her head, _'He's planning something so he needs to hide. What I don't get is why Temari isn't spamming her Wind Scythe Jutsu right now. If I were her, I wouldn't give my opponent a break.'_

Temari looked at Shikamaru, who was grinning, and growled, "Wind Style: Wind Scythe Jutsu!"

_'It's like she read my mind!_

Temari's fan created a huge gust of wind that was cutting the trees that Shikamaru was standing behind. When the wind died down, Shikamaru stretched his shadow until it reached Temari. She saw it and kept backflipping until Shikamaru's shadow reached its limit. Smirking, Temari crouched down and used her fan to create a line in the sand.

"Almost got me," Temari said, standing up, "Aren't you clever. With that Shadow Possession Jutsu of yours, you can manipulate any shadow you're in. The wall's shadow, for an instance. But there's a limit, isn't there? No matter how thin you stretch it, it'll only move so far. Isn't that right?"

Shikamaru gave a sheepish smile, "You got me."

_'You're acting, I can tell. You always go on and on about how in shogi you should never admit your weaknesses to an opponent, even if they are positive that they're true. You have a plan.'_

"Fifteen metres and thirty-two centimetres. That's how far your jutsu can go," Temari stated, "Now that I know that, I can stay out of your range."

_'Huh. She's a strategist, too. This match isn't going to be those flashy ninjutsu battles, it's going to be the type that'll keep the audience at the edge of their seat right up until the end.'_

Hanara saw Shikamaru close his eyes and put his hand in his signature thinking position. 

"What is that?" Hanara heard Kankuro ask from behind her, "I've never seen that hand-sign before.

_'Damn, I need to be more aware of my surroundings.'_

"It's not a hand-sign, it's a habit," she told him. It's not like Temari can stop Shikamaru from thinking, only a Yamanaka can do that.

"A habit?" Kankuro questioned.

"Yeah, Shikamaru's a strategist, same as your sister. But unlike her, he likes to take things slowly. It's why he's so good at games like go and shogi." Hanara explained, "He never fails to beat our sensei in a match. That symbol he's making right now is what he does right before he comes up with a plan. And if he does come up with one, Temari is screwed. It's why I'm sort of nervous, to be honest."

"Tch," Kankuro scoffed, "Temari's one of the smartest Genin in the Sand. She'll beat that little lazy ass no problem."

Down below, Shikamaru's eyes opened and his hands moved back to his sides.

"Heh. You'll see," Hanara told him, "He's got a plan now, just you watch."

Temari noticed her opponent's sudden movement and smirked, opening her fan, "So, you have some fighting spirit after all. I was starting to think that we would be here all day."

With a grunt, Temari swung her fan again, performing the Wind Scythe Jutsu. Too bad for her, after three days of sparring with Hanara, Shikamaru's mom got him a more durable jacket. Only the bare parts of his arms and legs would be cut.

Despite that fact, Shikamaru jumped behind a tree.

Temari glared, "No use in hiding."

Kankuro looked at Hanara skeptically, "Are you sure he has a plan?"

Hanara, who still had her Byakugan on, merely smiled mysteriously, "Oh yes, he has a plan all right."

Once the wind died down, Temari looked left and right, "You can't hide forever! Come out, coward!"

She swung her fan again, "Wind Scythe Jutsu!"

However, right as her blast of wind died down, Shikamaru had sent a kunai at her and she noticed it too late. Luckily for her, that was only a distraction and it landed on the ground in front of her. The second kunai he shot was blocked by her fan, but that was also a distraction. The real attack was his shadow. Temari noticed it but smiled, believing that her theory of its range was correct. What she didn't realize was as the sun set, the shadows grew longer. So, when the shadow went past Temari's 'safety line' she was startled. Sadly, she jumped back fast enough for his shadow not to catch her. 

She glared at Shikamaru.

"You're pretty quick on your toes," Shikamaru commented.

_'You're stalling so that the shadows can get even longer. Usually riling up an opponent, especially a female one, is too much of a drag. For you, I mean. Wonder if Ino and Choji are catching that.'_

"Now I see what you were up to," Temari said, eyes narrowed, "You weren't just hiding, you were buying time, waiting for the sun to get lower and the shadow of that wall to get longer. The longer the shadows, the farther your range is, right?" 

_'Well, I guess now they know.'_

Kankuro shot Hanara a smug smirk, "Heh. Told you, Temari is a pro at reading her opponents."

"She found out a little late," Hanara shot back.

_'This is a feint, I can feel it. That's not your whole plan.'_

Suddenly Kankuro stiffened, "TEMARI-"

Hanara placed her hand over Kankuro's mouth, muffling him. However, the damage was done.

Temari looked left, right, and then up, staring right at what Hanara knew to be Shikamaru's jacket and a kunai. She looked at it curiously for a moment, before realizing that it cast a shadow and jumping back.

"Dammit Kankuro," Hanara mumbled angrily.

"Murrph maa," Kankuro tried to speak.

Hanara immediately let go of him and glared, "We're not supposed to interfere."

"The proctor said, 'there are no rules'."

"Tch." she scoffed, looking back at the battle.

"I've got you now!" Shikamaru declared, making his shadow twist and turn as Temari jumped.

Once Temari was in-between the two holes Naruto made, Shikamaru's shadow stopped. She smirked and opened her fan, putting it behind her, handle side up.

"She learns fast, I'll give her that," Shikamaru drawled.

"Of all the people, Shikamaru just had to go up against the other strategist," Hanara complained.

Temari picked up her fan again and slammed it down in front of her, hiding as she closed her eyes and thought.

Shikamaru's shadow retreated and Temari made hand-signs for what Hanara assumed was a clone jutsu.

But then she realized she couldn't move.

 _'I see his plan.'_ Hanara thought, _'He shows her his shadow attack and makes her move behind what_ **she** _thinks is his range. Right when she starts to feel safe, he extends his range and makes her fall back, all the while making her think it's her idea when in reality she's just falling for his trap.'_ Hanara smirked, _'And that's why he's the smartest person I know. Well, since the match is basically over, I better release my Byakugan. Release!'_

Kankuro gasped, "How the heck did he do that?"

Hanara, who had already seen Shikamaru's shadow move with her Byakugan, explained, "Naruto created the perfect battleground for Shikamaru to work with."

Kankuro glanced at the hole behind Temari and his eyes widened, "Y-You mean that his shadows work underground too?"

She nodded.

Shikamaru moved his hands out of the Rat sign, "It took a while, but my Shadow Possession Jutsu is complete."

"I-Impossible, your shadow couldn't reach this far," Temari exclaimed.

Shikamaru smirked, "Look behind you, I'll let you."

After letting Temari get a look, he continued, "That's where Naruto popped out of the ground and knocked Neji out. The hole in front of you is where he went into the ground. So, the two are connected"

Temari's eye twitched, "Now I see. I never even considered the shadows underground."

Shikamaru turned his head back and looked at her, "That was your mistake."

Temari's eyes were still wide with disbelief when Shikamaru started walking forward. Although it was obvious she was straining against his control, she walked forward as well. 

"Yeah, he did it! He pulled off an upset!" Naruto cheered.

"Great job, Shikamaru!" Hanara yelled, "I knew you had it in you!"

Shikamaru and Temari raised their hands, Temari struggling all the way.

Hanara's eyebrows furrowed, _'Wouldn't he do something else, like forcing her to hurt herself until she forfeits? His chakra? Byakugan!'_ she activated her dojutsu again, _'Damn... that's low as hell. If he doesn't forfeit, he's practically giving that match away to me.'_ she thought as she released her Byakugan.

Shikamaru sighed, "Okay, that's it. I give up."

Nearly the entire stadium's jaws dropped.

"H-Huh?" Temari's asked, "Why?"

There was a beat.

Then the entire crowd booed, throwing insults at Shikamaru.

"Hey, Hanara! Knock some sense into your teammate, will ya?" Naruto demanded.

"Nah, he's right," Hanara responded, "Listen."

Shikamaru was explaining himself to Temari, "I used up all my chakra on that Shadow Possession Jutsu. I have about ten seconds. Bummer. I had the next 200 moves planned out in my head. But, my chakra is running low. I won't beat Hanara with this much chakra anyway. Even if I were to win this thing, it would just be more work," he shrugged and his shadow released.

Genma smiled to himself, "The winner is, Temari!"


	34. The Third Exam, Pt. 3

Once the crowd got over their shock and Shikamaru made his way back to the contestants' viewing area, Genma announced the next match.

"The fourth match will be between Temari of the Sand and Hanara Hyuga," Genma told the crowd.

Hanara nodded to herself and jumped off the railing, doing a backflip before reaching the ground and walking to the same side Shikamaru was standing before his match ended.

"Are there any objections," Genma ask.

"None here," Hanara responded.

"Nope," Temari shook her head.

"Okay. Then, BEGIN!" Genma said before jumping back.

At that signal, Hanara automatically turned on her Byakugan.

"YEAH! YOU CAN DO IT HANARA!" she heard Ino yell from the spectator's area.

 _'She's got a pair of lungs on her...'_ Hanara thought.

"Water Style: Water Clone Jutsu," Hanara said, using the water in the ground to create a clone to her left. She usually hated doing that, as it took a lot more control, but Hanara stupidly forgot to seal some water in a scroll. She didn't have a plan yet, but having an advantage in numbers was always useful.

"Tch," Temari scoffed, "Is that all you Leaf ninja do? Create clones?"

"What can I say? We just use what's useful," Hanara responded before putting her hands in the Bird seal, "Wind Style: Air Bullets!"

Immediately, Temari swung her fan, "Wind Style: Wind Scythe Jutsu!"

_'Dammit, I hate when that's used against me.'_

"Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation," Hanara and her clone said in sync, rotating to avoid damage.

 _'Hey, what would happen if I mixed in Wind-Natured Chakra in this? Hmm... let's see next time.'_ Hanara thought as she stopped spinning.

Temari panted as the wind died down. _'She's out of breath and has less chakra than me. If I plan this correctly, it'll be an easy win. Water Bullets and Wind Bullets are no use, her Wind Scythe'll make them disperse before it gets too close. My Wind Scythe against her's will work, but only if I do it, not the clone. And... chakra strings. I got it!'_ Hanara thought, a plan forming in her mind.

"Wind Scythe Jutsu!" Temari yelled, swinging her fan, not giving her time to put her plan in action.

"Rotation!" said the two Hanaras as they both spun, the real one adding Wind Natured chakra to the chakra she was releasing from her chakra points. The result was something like a shredding ball. If someone came close to her and touched the Rotation, they would've had one less finger.

_'I will need to refine this, but I can use it later! Although... now that I think about it, trying a new technique in the middle of a battle is so stupid.'_

The wind died down and Hanara and her clone used that as an opportunity to take out one fan each and make it big enough for one Hanara to fit on each fan. Before Temari could do anything, Hanara and her clone manipulated the Wind around the fan, allowing them to fly.

"Are you really running away, now?" Temari mocked as Hanara took to the air, "Are all of your team members cowards?"

"We may be cowards, but at least we win," the real Hanara responded, moving in front of her clone to guard it as it proceeded with her plan, not that Temari knew.

The real Hanara grabbed her second fan and enlarged it.

"Aw, letting a clone guard you? Too scared to face me yourself? Well, too bad that won't work," Temari smirked, "WIND SCYTHE JUTSU!"

"WIND SCYTHE JUTSU!" the real Hanara roared, watching as the wind she created overpowered Temari's and attacked her while the clone slowly implemented Hanara's plan from behind her.

The girls repeated the process 3 more times, but it was of no use to Temari. Hanara's wind constantly overpowered Temari's due to her already having used lots of chakra that day, yet attempting to fight Hanara using taijutsu was a death wish. Temari was clinging naively to the hope that Hanara's Byakugan would reduce the amount of chakra that she was putting into the jutsu.

Sighing, Temari started to raise her arm, only to find that she couldn't.

Her eyes widened and she instinctively looked to her shadow, "H-Huh? Only that Nara had trapping jutsus from what I saw of your team!"

Smirking slightly, Hanara and her clone flew back to the ground, her clone behind Temari and Hanara in front of her.

"I knew that which is why I decided to pick something up, too," the real Hanara said, "You want to take a guess or should I just show you?"

Temari stayed silent but her face hid her previously obvious shock.

"That's no fun," Hanara mock-pouted, "Fine. Cloney, you can stop hiding it."

The water clone nodded and removed some of the chakra from the five chakra threads (one for each limb and the fifth one for her neck) it was using before taking off its Byakugan so it could make sure it was visible. It made Temari turn her head and she gasped.

"Chakra threads," she said, shocked, "But that's a technique that the Sand made sure wasn't taught to other nations!"

The Hanara in front of her smirked again, "Your brother 'taught' me it by using it while I had my Byakugan on. The Byakugan is quite useful in learning techniques that use chakra in general because with it we can see how chakra is moulded. We can't copy it immediately, but we can learn it by sight which still makes things a whole lot easier. Most Hyuga ignore this fact and focus on our 'superior' taijutsu instead, which is why we aren't seen throwing flashy jutsu, but I never really tried to fit that stereotype. Anyway, we aren't here to talk about what I did for the last month, so let me get back to the task at hand," Hanara shot Temari a crazed grin, trying to scare her, "Defeating you."

_'Let's go with the more merciful way, don't want to use too much chakra.'_

The clone forced Temari's hands to her side, causing her fan to fall. Temari stared at Hanara, obviously trying to look unbothered, but her eyes revealed her slight fear. The Hyuga smirked at that and walked slowly towards her fellow Wind user.

_'This is payback for calling our team cowards, bitch. I'll be the third one to prove that we are smarter than you think.'_

Once Hanara was an inch away from the Sand kunoichi, she looked towards the proctor.

"You should call the match," she told him loudly, "This," she struck Temari's collarbone, "Could've been a kunai that hit her neck. This," she used a Gentle fist strike right above her heart, "Could've been a Gentle Fist strike to her heart. _This-_ "

Genma sighed, "Yeah, I get the point. Temari's done. The match goes to Hanara Hyuga of the Leaf! Temari of the Sand is disqualified."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Byakugan's ninjutsu specialization stuff was first brought to my attention by a reader on fanfiction.net, so thank you for that :)


	35. Hiashi Hyuga

**Last time:**

_Genma sighed, "Yeah, I get the point. Temari's done. The match goes to Hanara Hyuga of the Leaf! Temari of the Sand is disqualified."_

* * *

**Now:**

Hanara slowly exhaled and smiled when the crowd cheered. She allowed her clone to dispel and where it once stood was now a puddle of water. Temari glared at her when she made her way past her to go up the stairs, but it wasn't any less than what Hanara was expecting.

_'Man, trash-talking is so hard, I don't think I could do it again. Especially not to Shino. Oh, dammit. Shino's long-range too and he's got those insects. What to do?'_

When she went back to the contestants' viewing area, she saw that Shikamaru and Naruto were missing. _'Well, if they aren't going to congratulate me, might as well go visit Neji. Naruto probably caused him to go through an existential crisis!'_

Nodding to herself, she started to walk to the medical area.

* * *

When Hanara got there, however, the medic-nin wouldn't allow her to see him.

"Why not?" she protested, "I'm family, I have a _right_ to see an injured family member!"

"I'm afraid-" the medic cut himself off and dropped into a bow, "Lord Hyuga!"

"I'm sorry, but could you please step out for a moment?" Lord Hiashi asked, walking up to him.

"I can't, we aren't supposed to-"

Lord Hiashi cut him off, "It won't take long, I assure you."

The medic sighed and nodded, "Of course."

Lord Hiashi turned to Hanara, "Come, Hanara, this is something I must tell you, as well."

She gave him a curt nod and followed him into Neji's room, closing the door behind her. Neji heard the door closing and glanced towards them. His eyes widened in shock and he got off his bed to stand up.

"Hanara, Lord Hyuga," he said, bowing to Hiashi.

"Please rise, Neji. What I am here for is a matter of great importance. It regards your father and my brother, Hizashi," Hiashi told them, "What I made Hikaru tell you all those years ago, was a lie."

Neji's eyes narrowed, "What do you mean? My father was killed instead of you to protect the Byakugan. He was put down like a lamb to slaughter, that's all there is to it."

"No, he did it out of his own will. He wanted his death to be something he chose to do instead of it being left to destiny. I wanted it to be me, but Hizashi interfered and demanded to be sent instead. I didn't tell you because I felt that being the focus of your hate would be what I deserved for allowing Hizashi to die. However, seeing how you both have grown makes me realize that it was a mistake," Hiashi said sadly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out two scrolls, giving one to each child, "Before he left, he told me to give you both one scroll. These are his last words."

**_Dear Hanara,_ **

**_I know you didn't tell me, but you had a bad feeling that day, didn't you? As you know, it was right, it is most of the time, too. So, listen to it, okay? How old must you be right now? Are you 5? Maybe 7? Or even 10? I told Hiashi to give this to you immediately, but he never does listen._ **

**_I'm sorry that I left you and Neji on your own right after you got used to me, but I felt that was something I needed to do. Please do not take your anger out on Hiashi, Hinata, or any of the other members of the Main Family because of what I have done. It was purely my choice. I was not forced into this._ **

**_I realize that I was wrong in assuming that those of us with the curse seal are like caged birds, having wings but not being able to fly. Yes, when it comes down to it, we must protect the Main Family's Byakugan no matter the cost, but how we do it is up to us and we must remember that. We cannot go on a raging tirade just because of a mark. It does not define our future. I do not know if Neji will understand this because I have been saying the opposite for as long as he can remember, so please keep him from going down that path._ **

**_I am sorry that I won't be able to help you grow and have left you and Neji as orphans at such a young age. I have abandoned you and that will be something that won't change, no matter how I try and justify it to myself. However, I do love you both, and that too won't change. I will watch over you no matter where I go once I am killed._ **

**_Please take care of yourself, Hanara._ **

**Hizashi Hyuga**

_'Oh Father, you have too much of a good heart.'_

"I know I should not expect your forgiveness- what I allowed Hizashi to do was unacceptable -but I hope that this has given you both some long-needed closure," Lord Hiashi said.

 _'Damn straight,'_ Hanara fumed, allowing her body language to reflect her anger, _'I already had a good idea of what happened, but I can't believe it took Hiashi this much to realize how badly he fucked up! He wanted to feel better and so, he ignored a dying man's last wish and sacrificed two children's well-being to save his own. Neji may forgive him, but I won't. Hiashi saw firsthand what giving the curse seal to his twin did to him and did it to me anyway! I don't care how much trouble the elders may have given him, his position in the clan should mean less than family!'_

Neji smiled softly, "Thank you, Lord Hiashi."

"I shall take my leave now," Hiashi said, giving Hanara one last apologetic look before leaving the room.

After a long few minutes of silence, Hanara calmed down enough not to snap at anyone and everyone that talked to her. Noticing this, Neji decided to start the conversation.

"I'm sorry about the past month," he mumbled, "I know I wasn't being quite nice."

Hanara snorted and hugged him, "Understatement of the century but apology accepted. I'm glad that you're not mad anymore. I missed the nice Neji."

He sighed, "That's all you're going to get out of me, Hana. Anyway, you didn't know this was going to happen so why did you come here in the first place? Is your match over already?"

"Yeah, Sasuke's was postponed and Shino won because Kankuro forfeited. Shikamaru had Temari in a bind but then forfeited because his chakra was too low. I beat Temari and now they're probably waiting for Sasuke again. I came here because I knew that what Naruto did must've made you go through a minor existential crisis, and we can't have my amazing brother go through that," she smiled, releasing him and lying down on his hospital bed. What? It's a bed and if he's just going to sit on it, she might as well use it the way it's mean to.

"What made you start using elemental techniques?" Neji asked, no doubt thinking about her preliminary round.

"Well, I was doing a lot of research on the Byakugan while you were in the Academy and sometimes I'd use it to spy on Genin teams. I saw that it helped me see how their chakra was moulded so I thought that it would make learning ninjutsu easier. Besides, if our opponent's a long-range specialist, we're-" Hanara was cut off by a large _boom_ that came from the direction of the arena.

She and Neji immediately get off the bed and run to the room's window. Half the village was in ruins and three giant snakes were causing even more chaos.

_'What the hell's going on?_


	36. The Invasion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the last 4 days, I was at camp and only came home at around 6 pm. Half the time, I had classes straight after and only ate dinner at like, 10 pm. So I didn't really have time to update as frequently. Sorry about that.

** Last time: **

_She and Neji immediately get off the bed and run to the room's window. Half the village was in ruins and three giant snakes were causing even more chaos._

**_'What the hell's going on?'_ **

* * *

** Now: **

Neji's eyes narrowed and he ran outside his room and into the hall. Scared, Hanara followed him.

"Do you hear that?" Neji asked.

Hanara listened carefully and heard nothing, "The crowd! They've gone silent!"

Neji nodded.

"Byakugan!" the cousins said in sync, activating their dojutsu.

"It's a genjutsu..." Neji whispered, "Someone's cast a genjutsu on everyone in the stadium and is attacking the village. There's fighting in every corner no matter where I look! It's like-"

"Yeah, I know. It's like a war," Hanara said gravely, "The village needs every shinobi it can get, we have to help. And it looks to me like the stadium is the weakest point."

"Right, let's help at the stadium," Neji nodded.

* * *

When Neji and Hanara got to the top of the stadium to understand the situation better, they saw one of the Hyuga Elders, Kiba, and Akamaru down.

_'I think Hinata was with Kiba, wasn't she? Someone could've taken her, I need to wake him up.'_

She rushed over to Kiba and began shaking him, "Kiba! Are you okay! Get that lazy ass up already! Where's Hinata?" Getting fed up, Hanara slapped him, "Get over whatever the hell happened and wake up!"

Kiba groaned and opened his eyes, flinching when he saw Hanara's face over his.

He got up and looked around the stadium in shock, "What _happened_?"

"Short version? The village is under attack, we don't know much more," Hanara told him, "Now what the heck happened to you? Don't you usually, I dunno, Fang Over Fang someone before they touch you?"

"I was with Hinata because she collapsed from some injuries that Neji gave her. An ANBU Black Op was healing her and then he knocked me out after he finished. I don't know what happened after that, but she must've been kidnapped."

"Shit," Hanara swore. Another Hyuga stereotype that she broke was the overly formal nature bit, "Well at least your wound wasn't fatal."

She looked over to Lord Elder and saw that he was fine as well. 

"Does he know what happened?" she asked, walking over to Neji and the Elder.

"We were attacked and our assailant kidnapped Lady Hinata," Lord Elder told them.

"Do you know what village they were from?" Hanara asked.

"They were two ninjas from the Hidden Cloud that were here as spectators assaulted us and made off with her. They no doubt saw the confusion as a means to take the Byakugan and took advantage of it. I attempted to stop them but..." he closed his eyes and sighed, "Hanara, Neji, the Byakugan is a prized clan secret that Hizashi protected the with his life, we cannot simply allow the Hidden Cloud to take it. Go bring Lady Hinata. It is your duty to protect the Byakugan, no matter the cost."

 _'I'm not going to get them for the_ **_Byakugan_ ** _, you idiot. I'm going because I care about the well-being of my sister. I honestly don't care if other villages get a kekkei genkai or not if them getting one does not involve harming the owner. It doesn't really matter to me. Although, if I remember right, didn't Tenten go with Neji in canon? I'm not sure anymore, it's all so hazy now. What happened to that? Butterfly effect? Eh, we need all the able ninjas we can get here, I'm not complaining.'_

Despite her thoughts, she nodded, "Yes, Lord Elder."

"Woah, hold your horses! I'm coming, too." Kiba interjected.

"No, this is a matter for the Hyuga," Neji denied.

"Hinata is my friend," Kiba argued, "I know you both don't have a high opinion of her so what if you don't put in all of your effort."

Hanara nodded, "Stop being so stubborn, Neji. The Cloud will have sent their best ninja after their last fail. We'll need all the help we can get."

Neji sighed, "Fine, I suppose the Inuzuka can come. His nose may be useful."

There was a puff of smoke and everyone went on guard. Once it cleared, it revealed a phoenix with gold and red plumes and a golden beak. It was larger than Hanara but smaller than what she assumed a boss summon thing would be.

"Lady Hanara, you have fulfilled the requirements. I am Pho, your personal summon," said the phoenix.

"But I didn't..." she trailed off. _'Does me thinking 'screw canon, I just wanna do this' count as doing something for_ ** _me_** _? Man, I'd have done that a lot sooner. Wait, did they read my mind or something? That would be so useful!'_

"You can summon _phoenixes_?" Kiba exclaimed, "That's so cool!"

Hanara ignored him and turned to Pho, "I'm sorry we couldn't meet at a better time, but I need a favour."

"I am happy to serve, my lady," Pho smiled.

_'Ooh, he's so respectful!'_

"We need to find my sister and Kiba's nose is perfect for tracking people down. Could you allow him and my brother to fly on you and listen to his instructions?"

"Of course, Lady Hanara," Pho said, leaning downwards to allow Neji and Kiba to climb onto him/her.

"Oh, and are you a male or a female?" she asked.

"I am a female, my lady," Pho responded after both Neji and Kiba were on her.

Hanara nodded, pulled out a fan, and enlarged it. Once she got on, she turned to Kiba, "Lead the way!"

Kiba started sniffing and said, "Fly to ten o'clock, Pho. That's where they're heading."

"Right!" she responded, lifting her large wings and flying to where Kiba had told her to.

Hanara followed.

* * *

They had been travelling for around 10 minutes when Hanara realized where they were going, using her Byakugan to see ahead for a moment.

"They're taking the quickest route to the Land of Lightning. Once we get out of the Land of Fire, we won't have the home-field advantage anymore," she said.

"It makes sense," Neji nodded thoughtfully, "They have to get out of here before Lord Elder wakes up.

"Ugh," Kiba groaned, "Can you go faster, phoenix?"

"I apologize, this is the fastest I can fly." 

"They must be at least higher than Chunin, based on the speed they seem to be running. It seems like we have no guarantee of winning," Neji stated.

"There's always a way, like surrounding them to take them off guard," Hanara responded, but it seemed like she was trying to convince herself more than the boys.

A few minutes later, Hanara saw some mud dogs that were attempting to climb trees and attack them. Their barks attracted Kiba's attention.

"What are those?" he asked, disgusted.

"Seems to be a trap the Cloud ninja left behind that's activated by chakra," Neji commented.

"It must have taken a lot of time to set that up though, which means that Hinata might not be as far away as we thought," Hanara said optimistically.

Neji nodded and scanned the area with his Byakugan, "Found them! They've stopped and are crowding around Hinata, who is unconscious. They aren't letting Hinata out of their sight. I think that they know we've set off their trap."

Hanara nodded to Pho and she stopped moving forward to let them plan.

"If they're crowding around her and know someone's coming, what are we supposed to do?" Kiba exclaimed.

Neji's eyes widened and he told them his plan.

* * *

"-Byakugan, it doesn't matter if the user is alive or not." the Cloud ninja with brown hair smirked.

Hinata's eyes widened in fear but before the Cloud ninjas could do anything Kiba intervened.

"Tunneling Fang!" Kiba yelled, jumping off of Pho (who was hovering in the forest), spinning rapidly, and then landing right in front of Hinata.

"Looks like I arrived just in time," Kiba smiled, showing his sharp canines.

"Goddamn brats," the bald Cloud ninja snarled, "I'll kill them!"

He moved to attack Kiba and Hinata, but Kiba set off a smoke bomb. Growling, the other Cloud ninja set off some explosions and Kiba had to roll out of the way while holding Hinata in his arms so she wasn't caught in it.

The smoke cleared revealing the Cloud ninja to be right in front of them. The bald Cloud ninja pulled out a kunai, "We don't have any time for friendly chit-chat."

He Body-Flickered in front of Kiba but Kiba blocked it, using his palm in a very unKiba-like way.

"Gentle Fist Art: 8 Trigrams, 64 Palms," 'Kiba' said, slipping into the Gentle Fist stance.

"8 Trigrams, 2 Palms! 4 Palms! 8 Palms! 16 Palms! 32 Palms! 64 Palms!" 'Kiba' yelled, striking 64 of the bald ninja's chakra points rapidly, not giving him any time to counter until 'Kiba' was done.

Once 'Kiba' finished all 64 strikes, the Cloud ninja was sent flying back into a tree and 'Kiba' released his Transformation, revealing that it was Neji, not Kiba.

"It's you," the other Cloud ninja snarled, "The Hyuga kid that lost to the dead-last in the Chunin Exams."

* * *

_Back when Kiba set off the smoke bombs:_

Neji and Hanara jumped from the trees and Transformed into Kiba and Hinata respectively while they retreated into the trees. The cover of the smoke made it easier for them to escape undetected.

* * *

Hanara released her Transformation from where she lay at the Cloud ninja's feet and hastily jumped back to Neji, knowing that any ninja with brains would know 'Hinata' was just a decoy.

The Cloud ninja scoffed, "Tch. You made me follow a decoy, I should have known."

Neji and Hanara slipped into their Gentle Fist stances, turning on their Byakugan, "We won't let you pass," Neji snarled.

Neji ran towards the brown-haired ninja while Hanara stayed back, knowing that she would be able to handle the Cloud ninja should he use long-ranged techniques.

"Earth Style: Soil Flow!" the Cloud ninja said triumphantly.

_'Huh, a Cloud ninja with an Earth affinity is rare. Of course, we have to go against one. Of course.'_

The Cloud ninja controlled the soil around them, creating hard rock-like spears and forcing them to make Neji go back while he raised himself above the ground. Hanara started to put her hands in the Bird hand-seal but the Cloud ninja made some soil harden all around Neji and Hanara's limbs from behind them, effectively trapping them.

"Damn it!" Neji muttered.

_'Huh, I'm rubbing off on him- not the time, Hanara! Maybe I can release Wind Natured Chakra from my chakra points and cut the rocks... Yeah! That'll work! But I should wait and see what that ninja's planning.'_

"A ninja who can't move their limbs is like a bird trapped in their cage," the Cloud ninja said, smiling sadistically.

Neji glared at him while Hanara simply kept her face devoid of any emotion, trying not to tip off her plan to the enemy.

"What a pitiful fate you both have," he mocked, putting his hands in the snake seal, extending the piece of rock into a spear and shooting it towards Neji, "You're both going to die right here!" 

Hanara closed her eyes and focused, releasing extremely sharp Wind Natured Chakra from all her chakra points, causing the rock around her to shatter. She whipped out her fan and swung it.

"WIND SCYTHE JUTSU!" she screamed, aiming a mini-tornado towards the rock.

At the same time, however, someone Body-Flickered in front of Neji and yelled, "ROTATION!"

The combined force of both their attacks caused the spear heading for Neji to shatter. The Hyuga that Body-Flickered in front of Neji stopped spinning, revealing that it was Hiashi. The Cloud ninja paled and immediately jumped into the trees behind him in an attempt to get away.

"Air Palm!" Hiashi announced, extending his right arm with his palm open, releasing a gust of air that forced the retreating Cloud ninja to fall into the trees.

"Lord Hiashi, what are you doing here?" Hanara asked after pocketing her tiny fan. If she had scanned her surroundings, she wouldn't have bothered using a tiny fan to attack and risk it breaking. She would have used an Air Bullet to break the rock in half instead because he would have done the shattering for her.

"What about Lady Hinata?" Neji questioned, "Is she okay?"

"I was told of the circumstances by Elder-Sama and rushed here," Lord Hiashi said, turning around to face the two cousins, "Hinata and Hanara are my precious daughters and you are a memento of my precious younger brother. I will not allow the Cloud to take any of you."

Hanara glared at Hiashi, not bothering to release her Byakugan _'What happened to 'I am not your father' huh? I'm probably being petty, but you are the clan head, not the Elders! They are there to advise you and nothing more! Removing the Curse Seal or the Elders from their position may put the clan in a bad spot for a while, but it would inevitably make it stronger in the long run. I know that I am being selfish in hoping that you would keep me as your child, but at this point, I don't care.'_

"You are no father of mine," Hanara snarled, "You stopped being my father nine years ago, don't you remember?" 

Hanara bit her thumb and formed the hand-signs necessary for the Summoning Jutsu and slammed the bloody hand on the ground.

_Boar_

_Dog_

_Bird_

_Monkey_

_Ram_

"Summoning Jutsu," Hanara muttered. Kiba and Hinata were probably sitting on Pho, but she wanted to go home alone. If they couldn't deal with a fall from that height, they shouldn't be a ninja.

Pho appeared in front of her, but Hanara didn't give her any time to speak, "We're going back to the Leaf Village."

"But, uh, m'lady, will your friends be okay going by themselves?" Pho asked hesitantly.

"There is no longer an emergency and Lord Hiashi would not be here if the village was in trouble. They should be fine walking." Hanara said, climbing onto Pho, "Let's go."

"R-Right!"


	37. The Aftermath

Hanara had calmed down by the time Pho had flown to the Hidden Leaf Village and had apologized to her. Hanara knew that she didn't deserve to have Hanara's anger taken out on her. 

"Please land over here, Pho," Hanara said once they were over the crumbled wall. The village was in chaos, but it seemed like the fighting was over.

Pho complied and Hanara jumped off her, "You may go now."

"Right!" Pho nodded and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

 _'I need to find my team,'_ Hanara thought, _'They were all in the stadium, I think.'_

Hanara ran in the direction of the stadium, Byakugan on, and found that every ninja and civilian she passed were in varying states of mourning. _'The Sound and Sand aren't strong enough to kill or injure a family member of everyone in the village! What happened?'_ she sped up, _'Ino should know. She's the first to know all the gossip.'_

When Hanara ran past the Academy, she saw Ino and Choji, who were crying.

'Ino! Choji! What happened?" she asked, running up towards them.

"I-It's Lord Hokage!" Ino sobbed, "H-He's DEAD!"

Hanara's eyes widened, "No... he can't be!"

And boy was she shocked because she forgot such an important thing. Or did she even know that at all? _'It's like I've got freaky bits and pieces of the future that just make me feel anxious about everything I do. I kind of wish I didn't remember anymore, remembering pieces is worse than not remembering at all.'_

"Orochimaru used the invasion to kill him," Choji mumbled, "And we don't know where Shikamaru is."

"I- I'm sure he's okay..." Hanara said weakly.

"Y-Yeah, he's Shikamaru. The s-smartest person we know," Ino added, "He p-probably left with Asuma-Sensei or something."

"Y-Yeah," Choji nodded.

* * *

Later on, they found out that Shikamaru and the rest of the Rookie 9 were perfectly fine (after a few hospital visits, of course). It was a huge relief to Team 10 but they didn't let each other out of their sight for a few days. The Hidden Leaf Village was in shambles after the death of their Hokage and the destruction of the majority of said village, but that didn't stop them from holding an organized memorial to honour the sacrifices made in what became known as The Invasion.

The memorial was held on top of the Hokage Tower for all those that had died that day, but the only one that Hanara knew at all was Lord Hokage. It was raining quite heavily too as if even the heavens were weeping for the loss of all those gone. Although it was clear that everyone at the service was sad, only the civilians were openly sobbing. Ninja were expected to seem strong even at funerals because an enemy would use any moment of weakness to attack, any shinobi worth their salt would know that.

Civilians and many Academy students were blissfully ignorant of that fact, however, and were expressing their sadness openly. Hanara closed her eyes and sighed. This was the first memorial service she had been to since Hizashi's and it had been raining then as well. She knew first-hand that being the family of the one that had passed was a horrid experience. Konohamaru had her condolences.

While the memorial brought sadness to everyone there, it also gave them a sense of happiness. It brought all the good memories that people had made with the ones that they were remembering. All in all, the memorial ceremony left Hanara with a bittersweet feeling.

* * *

For the next few weeks, Hanara was alternating between continuing to learn a new Water Style jutsu (Water Wall) during team training on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and helping rebuild the village on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

Today was a Wednesday, so Hanara was at Training Ground Number 4 at 10 am sharp and found that Ino was already there, as usual. A few minutes later, Choji and Shikamaru showed up, but Asuma-Sensei still hadn't come.

"Seriously!" Ino whined, "Where is he? He promised to help us come up with a few more team formations with Hanara's new chakra thread stuff!"

"He probably had some stuff to do," Hanara sighed, "The Jonin and Chunin are being overworked because they need to help run the village and Asuma-Sensei being the son of Lord Third was the only reason he wasn't so busy before."

"I guess we could get started ourselves," Choji suggested after swallowing his last handful of chips.

"Hmm," Hanara hummed thoughtfully, "Yeah, that works. Now, who wants to be my taijutsu training partner?"

"Sure!" Ino smiled, "I need to work on mine anyway."

* * *

Two hours later and Asuma-Sensei still wasn't there. Hanara had done taijutsu with Ino for a while, mastered Water Style: Water Wall, and was at a loss with what to do. It was meant to be _team_ training, not individual training.

"What a drag..." Shikamaru complained, "We've been waiting for hours."

"I'm sick of this," Hanara declared, "I'm going to go track down Asuma-Sensei and drag him here."

"Sure," Choji agreed, "Just don't get distracted by what he's doing and forget about us."

Hanara nodded, "See ya!"

Hanara turned on her Byakugan and jumped onto the first rooftop she saw. That way, she didn't have to worry about crashing into a villager and causing more problems. After a few minutes, she finally caught sight of Asuma-Sensei.

 _'He's in someone's house? Is he visiting Kurenai-Sensei or something? Cuz if he is, imma be pissed.'_ she thought, determinedly running towards the house, switching off her Byakugan.

Finally reaching the house after 6 minutes of sprinting non-stop, Hanara threw the door open, finding Kakashi-Sensei lying on his bed with Asuma-Sensei, Kurenai-Sensei, and Guy-Sensei, speaking in hushed whispers.

Kurenai-Sensei, who had heard the bang from the door first, turned and stared at Hanara curiously, "Hanara? What are you doing here?"

"Shit. I missed team training, didn't I?" Asuma-Sensei groaned.

"Gee, I wonder, did you? I mean, it totally isn't noon on a Wednesday." Hanara drawled sarcastically.

"Damn it," Asuma-Sensei swore.

"Ino and I did some taijutsu, Shikamaru and Choji worked on strategies, and then I mastered that Water Style jutsu we were working on." Hanara informed him before scanning the room for the first time, "Geez, what happened to _you guys_? Kakashi-Sensei is passed out and a-"

"Is it true that Itachi Uchiha was in the village and is looking for Naruto Uzumaki?" a Chunin asked, slamming the door open.

Hanara turned to look at the Chunin and paled. Because right behind the Chunin was _Sasuke_. Sasuke's eyes widened and immediately took off.

"Maybe check your surroundings next time so that you don't reveal important information to a couple of Genin," Kurenai-Sensei told the Chunin dryly.

"Judging by your reaction, that was true," Hanara sighed, "Well, I'm going after Sasuke."

"What a lovely display of youth!" Guy-Sensei cheered, "You wish to help a comrade!"

_'Wait, he was standing there silently the whole time? Damn.'_

"No Hanara-" Kurenai-Sensei started.

"She's right," Asuma-Sensei interrupted, holding up a hand to stop Kurenai from speaking, "Just hear me out. Sasuke is going to try and warn Naruto, but if he runs into Itachi, all sense of rationality is going to leave him. He'll need someone with a clear head to help him, and Hanara is perfect for that. Besides, while Hanara does specialize in frontal assaults, she can also be sly in her attacks or even a tracker if need be, and both those qualities will help Sasuke. None of us Jonin can go, because we're needed here more than ever."

Kurenai-Sensei sighed and waved her hand in a shooing motion, letting Hanara run after Sasuke.

* * *

Hanara caught up to Sasuke when he stopped at Ichiraku Ramen.

"Don't try and stop me," Sasuke snarled, "I need to warn Naruto. I won't let Itachi take another thing away from me."

Hanara snorted, "You honestly think I'm here to stop you? Nope! I'm not about to let Naruto get himself killed. I'm here to help. My Byakugan will help you track Naruto down and I can fly faster than you run."

Sasuke stared at Hanara for a moment and then nodded, "Fine. You can come. But first, I'm going to ask Teuchi where Naruto went."

And Sasuke did just that.

"Ah, Naruto? He and another man left to Otafuku Town a few hours ago." Teuchi responded, sounding confused.

"What does he look like?" Sasuke demanded.

"The man? He has white spiky hair..." Teuchi trailed off.

"Does he wear a lot of red?" Hanara asked.

Teuchi nodded.

"Jiraiya," Hanara muttered.

"You know him?" Sasuke questioned.

She nodded, "He's one of Lord Hokage's students, same as Orochimaru and Tsunade. Naruto should be safe, but we should go and warn him in any case." she bit her thumb and performed the hand-signs for the summoning jutsu, "Summoning Jutsu!"

Pho appeared in front of Hanara and Sasuke, "M'lady, is there anything you need?"

"Yes," Hanara nodded, "Can you fly us to Otafuku Town as fast as you can?"

"Of course," Pho replied, bending down so that Sasuke and Hanara could climb onto her back.

Once both children were on Pho, she flapped her wings and took off into the skies.


	38. Itachi Uchiha

After a long, stressful flight, Hanara had finally caught sight of Naruto. Itachi and a shark-like man that reminded her of a picture of one of the Seven Swordsmen were not too far behind, but she wasn't going to tell Sasuke that.

Pho disappeared once Sasuke and Hanara jumped off her and in front of the door to Naruto's hotel after bowing to them. Once she was gone, Sasuke hurriedly knocked on Naruto's door.

"Aw, what do you want now?" Naruto yelled from behind the door, "She dumped you already?"

Sasuke groaned and kept knocking, "Idiot."

"I heard you the first time!" Naruto sighed. They heard the lock click.

Naruto threw the door open and stared at Hanara and Sasuke, confused, "Sasuke? Hanara? What are you doing here?"

"Someone's coming after you." Hanara said hurriedly, "They want to-"

"Heh. We've been found out, Itachi," a voice behind them drawled.

The three children stiffened. Sasuke and Hanara turned around and saw a blue-skinned man with a purple, scaly, sword on his back along with a man who was no doubt Itachi Uchiha a few feet behind them.

"Hey! What's going on!" Naruto exclaimed, noticing the negative energy radiating from Sasuke.

"Hard to believe that a child like this is holding the Nine-Tailed Fox, isn't it?" the shark-looking dude smirked.

_'Wait... they're wearing black cloaks with red clouds. Are they the Aka something or the other that wants all the tailed beasts? And that sword with scales... I can only think of one sword that matches that description. Samehada. He must be Kisame Hoshigaki, the Tailless Tailed Beast.'_

Itachi ignored Kisame and addressed Naruto, "You're coming with us, Naruto."

"Like hell he is," Sasuke growled, "I'm not letting you take another person from me, Itachi!"

 _'Gah, he's an idiot. Honestly, what sane Genin challenges an S-ranked shinobi, let alone two?'_ Hanara sighed and started getting ready for battle, silently activating her Byakugan. She had some blood on her thumb still, so she started to form hand-signs for the summoning jutsu slowly behind her back. If Naruto noticed, he didn't say anything.

"That kid's a feisty one," Kisame commented, "Come to think of it, he looks a lot like you. Do you know him?"

"He is my little brother," Itachi replied, gazing at Sasuke with indifferent eyes.

"That's weird," Kisame said, smirking again, "Because the way I heard it, your whole clan was slaughtered. By you."

Sasuke started shaking and his hands balled into fists.

_'Welp, he sure knows how to rile someone up.'_

"Itachi Uchiha, I hope you're ready to die!" Sasuke snarled as his hand got covered in lightning, "It's just as you said. I've fostered my hatred for you all these years. I've lived my life to see you die! It ends here!"

Hanara's eyes widened, _'No way. He's challenging them right now and using Chidori, which is a frontal attack. Anyone knows that frontal attacks are not the way to go when you're up against someone stronger than you. Is he insane?'_

Sasuke started running towards Itachi at full speed. Hanara formed chakra strings and attached them to Sasuke with one hand and slammed the other one on the floor, stopping Sasuke and summoning Pho in one fluid motion. The phoenix stared at the scene confusedly but didn't make a sound.

Naruto's eyes widened, "Wow, Hanara! I didn't know you were that fast!"

_'You sorta have to be, if you're learning the Gentle Fist.'_

"Let. Me. Go. _Hanara_." Sasuke commanded through gritted teeth.

"And what? Let you go up against your brother, who is an S-ranked shinobi that could kill you without a second thought if he wanted to? Not to mention, Kisame Hoshigaki, one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist who has also been called the Tailless Tailed Beast, is right there." Hanara said sarcastically, "He's in a whole other league compared to Zabuza, whom you just barely beat _with_ Kakashi on your side, no matter how Naruto tries to sell it. Besides, his sword Samehada can lick every single drop of chakra from your body. Anyway, no Genin can go up against 2 S-ranked shinobi with a frontal attack."

"Someone's done their homework," Kisame grinned.

Hanara ignored him and turned to Sasuke, who was still struggling against her chakra threads, "If you're going to be a liability, I'll send you straight back to the Leaf Village on Pho."

"You said that you'd help Naruto not get killed," Sasuke said angrily.

"I agreed to warn him so that he wouldn't get killed. I never agreed to let you go up against two shinobi way beyond your skill level and killing yourself. Asuma-Sensei only let me come after you so that I'd prevent you from doing exactly this. Itachi and Kisame put Kakashi-Sensei in a coma and defeated Gai-Sensei, Kurenai-Sensei, and Asuma-Sensei. Gai-Sensei is the best taijutsu specialist in the village and Kurenai-Sensei is the best genjutsu specialist. Kakashi-Sensei was a prodigy in his own right and a damn good ninjutsu specialist, not to mention that he was in ANBU from what I've heard. Asuma-Sensei is one of the Leaf's only Wind-Natured shinobi and was once in the Guardian Shinobi 12. His bounty is over 30 million ryo, too. If all of them combined couldn't defeat these two, what the hell makes you think you will?" Hanara questioned.

"Sound logic and all, but what makes you think we won't attack unprovoked?" Kisame asked.

"Oh, I don't." Hanara grinned, pulling Sasuke beside her with her chakra threads, "But, I do know that _you_ are a close-range fighter and I can do long-range no problem. Itachi over there is a genjutsu specialist and between Sasuke's Sharingan and my Byakugan, we'll be able to counter that pretty decently, too."

_'But, since Samehada eats chakra, do we even have a chance?'_

"A Hyuga that specializes in long-range attacks? Now that's something I want to see," Kisame said, running towards him with his sword in hand.

Hanara released her hold on Sasuke, pulled out a storage scroll full of water she had brought to training, and unsealed it. Her hands immediately flew threw a bunch of hand signs after.

_Tiger_

_Snake_

_Rat_

_Snake_

_Tiger_

"Water Style: Water Wall!" Hanara exclaimed slamming her hands onto the unsealed water on the ground. She knew that Samehada could rip through the wall no problem, but that was only there to buy time.

"Sasuke! He's a Mist rouge ninja, so use your fire techniques and I'll strengthen them with my wind. Pho, you can use Fire Style and Wind Style, right? So do the same thing. Naruto, you stay right here. It's you they want. Don't you dare complain." Hanara commanded, pulling out one fan and enlarging it.

But a huge puff of smoke that appeared right in front of the Water Wall Hanara summoned stopped both parties from continuing with their attacks.

"What the-" Kisame started, staring confusedly at the smoke.

Hanara saw straight through it and smirked, "About time."

The smoke cleared and revealed Jiraiya with a toad beside him for everyone else to see, "You don't know me at all, do you? You should have done your homework. Jiraiya, the Toad Sage, falls prey to no woman's charm. Rare beauties drop for me like blossoms in a storm. It isn't in my nature to be duped by the wiles of women. When you've reached the stature that I have, the ladies kneel and worship your awesomeness."

"Ahh! Don't give me that!" Naruto yelled, pointing a finger at Jiraiya, "One wink from a pretty girl and you turn into a mountain of mush! You fell for that like a pile of bricks, Pervy Sage!"

"Mhm," Hanara nodded, "If girls fall for you left and right, why were you peeking on the hot springs while I and Ino were in it? I refuse to believe that you peek on anyone below 18, so you were peeking on the ladies."

"I really wish you wouldn't call me that in front of other people," Jiraiya complained.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Hanara fumed, "We've got more to worry about, like maybe two S rank criminals killing us and kidnapping Naruto for the Fox? We all know that the three of us and Pho don't stand a chance in hell, so help us!"

Kisame chuckled, "Whatever name you go by, Master Jiraiya, I must say, you're a bit of a disappointment. A lecherous old man with the mentality of a child. Honestly, even that girl is more of an adult than you are. It's almost impossible to believe that you are one of the Legendary Sannin."

Naruto looked shocked, "What? You- You already know who he is? Pervy Sage can't be that famous!"

"If you'd paid attention to our history classes in the Academy, Naruto, maybe you'd know why," Hanara told him.

"Uh, don't be fooled by appearances. Or, you know, anything these squirts might say." Jiraiya sighed.

"So, you managed to release the genjutsu Itachi cast on her, then?" Kisame asked, changing the subject.

"What kind of coward would do that?" Jiraiya said, disgusted, "Using their Sharingan to cast a genjutsu on a civilian so that he could separate Naruto from me. I know he's the one you're after."

Naruto gasped. Even though Hanara had already said as much. _'I sometimes wonder if he even listens to me.'_

Itachi nodded, "That explains how Kakashi knew, you told him. You're right, Naruto is the prize the Akatsuki is after, and we will have him."

Jiraiya moved to open his mouth, but Hanara got her words out first, "You said, Akatsuki. That's the name of whatever organization gave you those weird cloaks, isn't it? An organization can't just be of two people, so he's not the only one you want. And since you mentioned the Fox... you're going after all the jinchuriki, aren't you? Every single one. Assuming that it's either one per person or one per pair, there are 9-18 of you in the organization. If your leader is smart, he or she probably has rouge ninja from all around the world. If they're all as strong as you two, you pose a real threat to the Elemental Nations."

"You found all that out from our conversation? The Leaf's got one smart cookie," Kisame remarked.

_'Having a Nara on your team does that to you. And I suppose being 14 years older than everyone thinks I am does that, too.'_

"You should consider going into Intelligence," Jiraiya noted before turning to the two criminals, "You won't be getting Naruto."

"We'll see about that," Itachi said calmly.

"Actually, this is all very convenient," Jiraiya commented, "I can eliminate you two at the same time. The Mist surely wants their sword back."

"Stay out of this," Sasuke growled, "The only one who'll eliminate that man, is me!"

"Go away," Itachi told him, "You don't interest me at the moment."

"Well, get interested!" Sasuke yelled, charging at Itachi with a fist ready.

Hanara took out her chakra threads again and attached them to Sasuke before he got too close.

She looked up at the sky and sighed, shaking her head, "Didn't I already make this clear to you? You're way out of his league right now."

"Stay out of this!" Sasuke demanded, "It doesn't concern you."

"It does concern me," Hanara smiled, "Asuma-Sensei made this my mission's objective: to make sure that you don't run into Itachi, and if you do, to make sure you don't engage him. I'm the rational thinker of my team, after Shikamaru and Sensei. He trusts me to make the right call, and that's all I'm doing. Besides, if you do manage to kill him, what then? Will you get a sense of satisfaction for being the last Uchiha? How do you know he wasn't alone, anyway? Can one person honestly kill the entire Military Police? To me, that whole situation screams of Itachi being the scapegoat, just like my Father was for the Hyuga situation all those years ago, but what do I know?"

"I saw him kill my parents," Sasuke said, glaring.

"That could have been a Transformation, for all we know," Hanara insisted, "But if you want to believe that your brother was a bad guy, go for it!"

"He had the Sharingan and used it on me!"

"As I said, that's all just my speculation. The whole Massacre smelt fishy to me, but what do I know? Even if I thought Itachi was guilty, I'm not going to let you kill him right now. Because clearly, you're stronger than the Copy Ninja, right, Sasuke?" Hanara glared at him, "I get you're hurting and hate him, but you need to think logically! Make Jonin, and then kill him, okay!"

_'Besides, his lungs are in a horrible state and I think he's going blind from what my Byakugan can see. If you don't kill him, his body will.'_

"Ninja Art: Toad Mouth Trap!" Jiraiya exclaimed, probably having enough of Hanara and Sasuke's fight. Jiraiya's jutsu summoned this pink intestine-like thing all around them.

"Woah! I'm not liking this at all!" Naruto exclaimed, panicking.

"This looks like those pictures of intestines in medical books. Are we in someone's stomach?" Hanara asked.

"That would be disgusting!" Naruto said.

"Trust in my jutsu," Jiraiya sighed. He turned to the rouge ninjas, "Welcome to the belly of the beast. You've both just been swallowed by the great Mountain Toad. He has a sensitive digestive tract, so be careful not to upset him."

Pho started squawking and Hanara looked at her, "What's wrong Pho?"

"I- I don't like this," she forced out as she began to be pulled into the pink intestines.

"You can unsummon yourself," Hanara told her.

Pho didn't need to be told twice, she disappeared in a puff of smoke.

She looked back at the scene only to see a huge hole in the stomach they were trapped in and Itachi and Kisame missing. Sighing, Hanara once again deactivated her Byakugan and chakra threads

"Amaterasu," Sasuke muttered, staring at the black flames.

"You know what it is?" Jiraiya asked.

"Yes, it's a flame that can only be put out once it burns through what it was set on," Sasuke informed Jiraiya, clenching his fists.

Jiraiya pulled out a scroll and made a seal, "Sealing Jutsu: Fire Seal!"

Hanara watched in awe as the previously 'unstoppable' flames got sealed into the scroll, "I guess, despite your quirks you really are a Legendary Sannin."

Jiraiya grinned and straightened his back, "That's right! I-"

"Stop preening, you're not a peacock," Hanara smirked.

Before Jiraiya could say anything, a kunai shot past him and into the wall behind him.

"Dynamic Entry!" a voice yelled.

A bright green blur shot past them and kicked Sasuke in the face, sending him flying back into the wall behind him.


	39. Hanara's Freaky Mind

** Last time: **

_Before Jiraiya could say anything, a kunai shot past him and into the wall behind him._

_"Dynamic Entry!" a voice yelled._

_A bright green blur shot past them and kicked Sasuke in the face, sending him flying back into the wall behind him._

* * *

** Now: **

"Guy-Sensei! What are you doing here?" Hanara asked, ignoring the knocked out Sasuke a few feet away from her.

Guy-Sensei shot her his trademark grin, "You see, Kurenai, Asuma, and I thought it was very unyouthful to send 2 Genin after 2 dangerous criminals and so I ran here to help. I guess I was a little over-enthusiastic," he said, his happy tone turning into a more worried one, "When I used my headband to peer into the opening all I could see were 2 sinister-looking figures, although now I can see why they were so short. I could never forgive myself if I harmed my hip and cool rival's student! If he doesn't wake up in 3 hours I will do 2000 laps around the village! If not that, I will do 4000 push-ups!"

Jiraiya sighed, "Never mind that now. You should get Hanara and Sasuke back to the village. It was smart of you to send her after Sasuke, by the way. She stopped him from killing himself and had a good plan for stalling Itachi and Kisame, too."

"As expected of Asuma's student," Guy-Sensei grinned.

"Sasuke will be okay, right Jiraiya?" Hanara asked worriedly.

"What do you mean?" Naruto exclaimed, "He's survived a lot worse than Bushier Brows-Sensei's kick, believe it!"

"I mean mentally." Hanara sighed, "Seeing Itachi going after you must've brought some bad memories and I wasn't the kindest in reminding Sasuke how weak he was compared to Itachi."

"You're right to be worried, Hanara. I'm sure he'll pull through, however." Jiraiya responded.

"What the heck did Sasuke ever do to deserve this?" Naruto questioned angrily, "You know what, we have a new game plan. I admit I let those goons scare me for a little, but that's over. No more running away. After all, it's me that they want, right? Well, okay then, let's give them what they want."

Hanara snorted, "Right, you and Sasuke are in over your heads. What would've happened if Jiraiya didn't show up? Or what would've happened if Sasuke, Pho, and I didn't show up, either? You would've been gone. That's it. Game over. No Hokage for you, mister, cuz you would've been kidnapped for the Fox, and once they got it, you'd be dead cuz no jinchuriki survives the extraction process."

_'I'm being overly cruel today, aren't I? Well, too bad, cuz they need to hear it and this is the only way it's gonna get through their thick skulls.'_

"Hanara's right, Naruto. If I hadn't shown up, you would have been killed. It took all I had to get them away from you. You're not in the same league. None of you are." Jiraiya said.

"Is that right?" Naruto asked angrily, "You expect me to sit around and do nothing? What type of bogus strategy is that? I can't just sit here and let them attack my friends!"

"Unless you train, that's the only thing you can do!" Hanara growled, "You can't do jackshit without your chakra, and guess what? Samehada eats that! You, because of your stupidly large reserves, can't dispel a genjutsu to save your life! Guess what? That's what Itachi specializes in. Those two are things that no amount of crazy training will be able to fix. The only way you'll be able to beat Itachi is if he's extremely weak and you learn genjutsu basics, and the only way you'll stand a chance against Kisame is if you have a Fire Affinity and train in it until you learn something as great as Amaterasu! Even then, they'll still beat you. This Akatsuki or whatever knows your weaknesses and strengths inside out and we don't know shit about them! It may seem like a stupid thing to do, but hiding around until they get someone else to go after you is the only thing you can do! They'll only be defeated if you know _their_ strengths and weaknesses like the back of your hand and get someone else that counters them to fight alongside you!" 

Naruto's eyes widened and he stayed silent.

"How can you tell that much by just one encounter?" Jiraiya asked, not looking the slightest bit angry at her scolding Naruto.

Hanara shrugged, "It comes naturally."

"Master Jiraiya, I have a request," Guy-Sensei interjected, looking oddly serious, "There is nothing that hurts more than seeing your students fall in battle, it's like losing little pieces of your soul. Besides that, there are lots of people in need of medical attention after The Invasion. What we need is a supreme medical specialist, a master of healing arts, and soon."

"I think they're going to get Tsunade," Hanara piped up.

Guy-Sensei looked at Jiraiya with so much hope it was heartbreaking.

"That's freaky, you know that?" Jiraiya remarked, looking at Hanara with fear.

"What? We need a new Hokage and obviously, you, Lady Tsunade, Asuma-Sensei, and Kakashi-Sensei are the ones in the running. You would just make all the female population run away from the Leaf, putting in Asuma-Sensei right after his father died would be cruel, and Kakashi-Sensei probably gave some stupid ass excuse that worked. So the Elders probably gave you the task to find Tsunade. Am I wrong?"

"No, and that's what's disturbing," Jiraiya said. 

"Anyway, can I come? I'll probably make the whole thing go by faster," Hanara said.

Jiraiya thought it over quickly and nodded, "We'll need your freaky mind."

_'Hey! I take offence to that!'_

* * *

A little while later, Naruto, Jiraiya, and Hanara were saying their goodbyes to Guy-Sensei, who had Sasuke on his back.

"All right, Guy. We'll leave Sasuke in your hands," Jiraiya said, waving to Guy-Sensei.

Guy-Sensei nodded, "Master Jiraiya, please find Lady Tsunade and bring her back to us."

"Don't worry, you can count on us!" Naruto replied, grinning, "We'll have her back in the village in no time!"

"Naruto, nothing impresses me more than guts, kid. Come here, let me give you something," Guy-Sensei said, pulling something out of his pocket, "Lee got stronger with this."

_'No. Please, oh god, no! Not that green monstrosity, anything but that! I can see it in my head! Naruto wearing that, becoming a Guy clone! No!'_

"Really? What is it? What is it?" Naruto asked, looking like an excited puppy.

Guy-Sensei pulled out the green monstrosity and started hyping up all its properties, causing Naruto to get even more excited and put it on immediately. He at least had the consideration to change behind a bush, though.

After that, Guy-Sensei started to leave, but Hanara stopped him, "Guy-Sensei, can you tell my team that I had to help Jiraiya? And tell Neji, Tenten, Hinata, and Lee that I miss them already?"

"Of course!" Guy-Sensei said, grinning, "Who would I be to not aid you in the youthful act of caring for your friends?"

"Riiight. Thank you!" Hanara smiled. As quirky as he was, Guy-Sensei had a good heart, and that's all she could wish for in Neji's sensei.

* * *

After a few minutes of walking (Pho deserved a break), Naruto suddenly stopped.

"What's up?" Jiraiya asked.

"What do those guys want with the Fox, anyway, Pervy Sage?" Naruto asked.

_'Huh, that's true. What the hell would anyone need with all 9 Tailed Beasts?'_

"This thing is some cruel beast that terrorized the whole Leaf Village! Why do they even want it?" Naruto questioned, putting his hand on his stomach, "It's just an evil fox with nine tails!"

"The Nine-Tailed Fox has appeared in times of consequence throughout history," Jiraiya answered seriously, "A ghastly spirit, destroying all in its path. Many men trembled before it. As for what the Akatsuki would want with it, or even all the Tailed Beasts, no one knows. With the way they're going about it, however, it can't be anything good. I suppose they may be thinking of seizing and controlling the power it holds, bending it to their will. It's a bitter pill to swallow, knowing that they're after you, but it is your fate. Ah, not to worry though, you have me with you!"

_'I feel like I'm intruding on a special moment over here...'_

"Oh well," Naruto sighed, "I just have to hurry up and get stronger! All right! Let's find this Tsunade woman so she can fix up Lee and Kakashi-Sensei! Then we're gonna get down to some serious training!"

"That's what I'm here for," Hanara smiled.

* * *

Not long after they started walking again, Naruto stopped.

"What is it now?" Jiraiya asked.

"The beautiful woman that you're looking for? Is that this Tsunade lady?" Naruto questioned.

_'I thought that was already established!'_

"Hey, not bad! You're pretty sharp!" Jiraiya smiled, "Why? What's on your mind?"

_'Okay, if this is sharp, I would hate to see what you call stupid.'_

"Well, you said she was one of the Legendary Sannin, same as you, right?" Naruto started slowly.

"Yes, get to the point!" Jiraiya exclaimed impatiently.

"How old is she?" he asked.

"She's the same age as me," Jiraiya informed him, "50."

They kept on walking after that, letting Naruto take in the new information in silence.

"So what's Lady Tsunade like?" Hanara questioned as they kept walking.

"Yeah, Pervy Sage! Tell us!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Ah, curious are you? Well let's see," he said, smiling, "Well, for one thing, she's kind of unpleasant. Plus, I guess there's the fact that she's known as a diehard gambler and all..."

"That's great! If she's famous she'll be super easy to find!" Naruto yelled.

"Naruto," Hanara stated, "Lady Tsunade is probably even more famous than Orochimaru and Jiraiya combined. She's the most famous of the three. Tenten says that Lady Tsunade is her idol."

"Really? How did I never hear of her before?" Naruto asked.

"Since you missed all our history lessons on the Second Shinobi War saying that they were boring." Hanara told him bluntly, "I think that even then they mentioned her gambling habits. She's known as the Legendary Sucker."

Jiraiya interjected before the verbal spat could escalate, "Anyway, famous or not, I doubt she'll be easy to find. Tsunade isn't the type to grow old quickly. Even though she's still 50 I'm pretty sure she's using a jutsu to make her seem young. I'm sure she'll look more like she did when she was 20."

_'Wow! That's one useful jutsu!'_

"That's not all," Jiraiya continued, "If what I'm hearing is true, she's started transforming on the fly. Going from her teens, to her thirties, forties, all so she can cut out on any moneylender she's in too deep with."

"Man, that's awful. She sounds like a real charmer," Naruto shook his head.

_'When you at it like that, I'd prefer Jiraiya. I don't know, she's just drinking her troubles away rather than facing them head-on. Would the Leaf really want a Hokage like that?'_

"Yeah well, Tsunade always loved gambling." Jiraiya, "It's too bad she never had any luck. Or skill, for that matter. She was made a sucker so many times, the name just stuck with her. But then she would just borrow money and skip out on her debts. Ah, it brings me back, I tell you."

"This isn't the time for nostalgia, old man!" Naruto growled, "Do you even have a plan?"

"Don't worry. This will be an easy trail to follow," Hanara smiled, clapping her hands together, "Just follow the line of angry debt collectors."

"See! This is why I brought you along!" Jiraiya grinned

"I- I thought that was-" she cut herself off, that was too obvious for Jiraiya not to realize. He was just acting dumb or something.

"When will we start my training?" Naruto asked.

"Don't worry. All our time on the road will be devoted solely to you." Jiraiya told him, "First thing's first, get that green thing off you. I won't be seen walking with a vegetable."

"Awww. But, Pervy Sage!" Naruto whined.

"Nope!" Jiraiya sighed.

* * *

Soon, they reached their destination: a small village that seemed to be hosting a festival.

"Come on, Pervy Sage! What are you waiting for? Let's start training!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Hold your horses! Let's not get ahead of ourselves, here," Jiraiya said, "We have to gather information on Tsunade here while I'm training you. Anyway, downtime is important, too. We don't want you to be overworking yourself, so before we start, enjoy yourselves at this festival."

"Woah! This'll be fun!" Naruto smiled, taking in the huge festival.

"Yeah," Hanara breathed, looking around in awe.

_'I haven't seen a festival that looked this fun since my third birthday...'_

"This festival will be going on for a while," Jiraiya informed them, "So we'll hang around here until it's over and then start your training here, too. Hanara can gather information while I'm teaching you as well."

"I've got some stuff I've been meaning to try out but I'll mainly help you scout out some info," she nodded.

Naruto took out a fat frog-shaped wallet from his bag, "All right!"

The two of them started to walk into the crowds of people to enjoy the festival.


	40. Finding Tsunade, Pt. 1

**A/N: From here on out, updates will be slower. Sorry about the last bit being rushed but writing a month full of training would be boring for me and sucky for you to read.**

* * *

** Last time: **

_"This festival will be going on for a while," Jiraiya informed them, "So we'll hang around here until it's over and then start your training here, too. Hanara can gather information while I'm teaching you as well."_

_"I've got some stuff I've been meaning to try out but I'll mainly help you scout out some info," she nodded._

_Naruto took out a fat frog-shaped wallet from his bag, "All right!"_

_The two of them started to walk into the crowds of people to enjoy the festival._

* * *

** Now: **

"Stop right there!"Jiraiya commanded, "I'm taking your wallet, Naruto. And yours, Hanara."

"Wh- What do you think you're doing!" Naruto protested as Jiraiya took his wallet.

Jiraiya took out some money and gave it to him, "Here, you have this much to spend."

"Only 300 ryo?" Naruto whined.

"I don't want to hear it! Honouring the three shinobi prohibitions is the duty of any upstanding ninja!" Jiraiya scolded.

_'I swear he's gonna use up all the money Naruto has.'_

"What're you talking about? What prohibitions?" Naruto asked confusedly.

"You're kidding!" Jiraiya said in disbelief, "You don't know? Money, women, and alcohol are the three things that any decent shinobi swears off of! They're the trio that ruin many shinobi's careers!" 

"Yeah, well none of those apply to me. I know what to do with my money, I don't like anyone, and I'm underage," Naruto replied.

"I've been doing all the taxes since I was 6, I don't like girls, and as he said, I'm underage. Besides, I'm helping you, I don't owe you a thing," Hanara agreed.

"You little fools!" Jiraiya yelled, "Don't take money lightly! Once you start spending, you'll never stop! The lady we're trying to find ruined herself because of it!"

"Pretty big talk coming from someone who's so addicted to the ladies," Hanara snorted, "Like I said, ever since my brother went to the Academy I've been managing the house. You don't see me in a bad state, do you? I can budget and do my taxes just fine. Besides, since I wasn't prepared for this I'm going to need to buy some essentials. You're not going to go into the store and buy me the more feminine hygiene products, are you?"

Jiraiya paled.

"I didn't think so," she smirked, walking towards the festival "Hold on to Naruto's money if you want, but you're not touching a bit of mine."

* * *

Hanara walked around the festival, looking for stalls that sold clothes. She wasn't particularly hungry because she had brought snacks with her to eat on the road. The food stalls smelt nice but as she told Jiraiya, she was good at budgeting. A festival wasn't going to sell hygiene products so clothes were all she was going to get.

Once she got about 3 full sets of clothing, Hanara left the festival and wandered around town, looking for a convenience or grocery store to buy some shampoo and other essentials. As she passed by a bar, she heard Naruto's loud voice yelling. Hanara turned to see what was bothering him and saw Jiraiya using a blue ball made of chakra and smashing it against a man, forcing the man to break a water balloon stall and smash into the ground.

_'Isn't that the Fourth Hokage's famous jutsu? Rasengan? A bit overkill for a civilian, but okay. You do you, Jiraiya.'_

Jiraiya spoke to him and the stall owner, got a few water balloons and regular balloons and walked away, saying he was going to start Naruto's training.

_'That was a bit odd, but okay then. I'll just follow them.'_

* * *

Jiraiya and Naruto stopped in the middle of a clearing in the woods.

"All right!" Naruto cheered, "It's time to get down to business!"

"I'll just... go over there and do my thing..." Hanara said, pointing to the edge of the clearing awkwardly.

"Sure. This jutsu will probably be easy for you to help Naruto with but don't. He needs to do it alone," Jiraiya told her.

"Ooookay," she nodded.

Hanara walked to the edge of the clearing, leaned against a tree, and sighed, _'What should I work on? I have that Wind Style version of Rotation, Hidden Mist Jutsu, Raging Waves, some Wind Style stuff that could help my kunai, Great Breakthrough, or some combination attacks with Pho that we could try. Hmm... I've got 3 Water Style jutsus, let's even out the score. Shredding rotative ball thing it is. It's basically a blender right now so maybe I should extend the 'blades'? Since I can see if I have my Byakugan on, I could use the 'blades' to pierce my attacker and the rest of it to defend myself. Let's get to it!'_

* * *

An hour later, Hanara felt her chakra reserves were about halfway gone. The only progress she had made was extending the blades slightly. Adding Wind-Natured chakra to the Rotation was hard work. _'I think that's it for now. I'll just fly around on my fan and look for Tsunade. She'll probably be near a casino or a bar.'_

Nodding to herself, Hanara got out a fan, made it large enough to sit on and made it hover. 

As she was climbing on it, Naruto turned around and asked, "Hey! Where are you going, Hanara?"

"I was here to help Jiraiya look for Lady Tsunade and my chakra reserves are almost halfway gone so I was going to go and scout. You can stay here and work on popping that balloon," she replied.

"Oh," Naruto sighed, "I'm not getting this at all! Can't you give me a hint? Please!"

"I can't," she shook her head, "Jiraiya said that this is something you have to do alone."

"Fine! I can do this alone, believe it!" Naruto cheered.

"I do, so get to it," Hanara smiled as she made the fan go higher.

* * *

The next four days went by the same way. Hanara would train with Naruto for a bit and then scout around for Tsunade before resting up so that she didn't exhaust her chakra. On the fourth day, Jiraiya taught Naruto the second step to Rasengan and they got into a row and Hanara was stuck with an irritated/sad Naruto for the next 2 weeks. From what Hanara could see, Naruto was upset that Jiraiya wasn't helping him much. Something about 'he needs to learn this himself or there's no point'.

At the end of the second week, Naruto finally managed to make a hole in his rubber ball and Hanara managed to control one thin blade of Wind-Natured chakra while doing Rotation. All she needed to do was make her blade less like a senbon and more like a kunai. She was going to try and control three blades at the very least before she called her jutsu complete. Hanara had also thought of a name for it: Eight Trigrams, Rotative Blades.

That day, Naruto and Jiraiya finally made up and Naruto was learning how to make a rubber ball explode while Hanara had started changing the size of her blade.

Five days after that, Naruto succeeded in making a rubber ball explode and Hanara succeeded in making one perfect blade. She had also caught a glimpse of Tsunade in a nearby town, so Jiraiya had them pack up to go there.

Hopefully, Lady Tsunade would slip up and they could go home. Hanara was starting to miss her teammates.


	41. Finding Tsunade, Pt. 2

Once Jiraiya, Naruto, and Hanara reached their destination, Hanara allowed Pho to leave and packed up her fan.

"Come on, Naruto, we don't have time to rest," Jiraiya told the boy. He had fallen back after exploding another balloon, "If we don't hurry, who knows where that woman will scamper off to next?"

Naruto stood up angrily and pointed at Jiraiya, "Listen here! That's no way to talk to an apprentice that's working their butt off!"

"Oh zip it, the two of you. You can work out your dynamic later. Lady Tsunade is the priority, here." Hanara sighed.

"She's right," Jiraiya told Naruto when the boy opened his mouth to retort, "We need to find Tsunade first."

"There are 8 gambling houses in this town," Hanara informed him, "It's perfect for people like Tsunade."

Jiraiya nodded, "When I go and check them out, you both stay outside."

* * *

By nightfall, the three ninjas still hadn't gotten a glimpse of Lady Tsunade.

_'Man, I don't think I'm ever going to become a tracker ninja. It's too frustrating. All I want to do is go home and maybe rant to Ino, Neji, Choji, or Shikamaru...'_

"Well, I'm stumped," Jiraiya told the two children, "That woman isn't anywhere to be found." His eyes narrowed, "Hanara, Naruto, come with me. Let's go look at the castle."

"We're going sightseeing? Awesome!" Naruto cheered, completely missing the grave tone that Jiraiya used.

_'Huh. I wonder what's wrong.'_

They walked up a long set of stairs and stared in the direction that the castle was meant to be at. 

_'Hey, what happened?'_

"Hold on! Where's the castle you were talking about?" Naruto questioned.

"It's gone!" Jiraiya responded, shocked, "Hanara, can you see it?"

"Byakugan!" she activated her dojutsu, "I don't see it anywhere!"

"How can a castle just disappear? They're huge!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Wait, hold on!" Hanara said, looking below instead of straight ahead, "It's torn to pieces like a typhoon hit it."

"RUN!" a civilian passing by screamed, "THERE'S A MONSTER UP THERE!"

"Hanara, what's going on?" Jiraiya asked.

She looked in the direction the civilians were coming from and gasped, "There's this... huge snake! Like a summoning animal. But doesn't Orochimaru have the snake contract?"

"Yeah," Jiraiya said solemnly, "We have to go there. Lead the way, Hanara."

Hanara pulled out two fans and gave one to Jiraiya and Naruto, hopping on her own, "Get on, it's faster this way."

While they were flying, Hanara kept Jiraiya posted on what she could see, "It was Orochimaru and... Kabuto? Yeah, it looks like Kabuto Yakushi from the Chunin Exams. They're fighting with to Tsunade and a lady with a pig. It seems like Kabuto's on Orochimaru's side."

_'That's why Sharon didn't like him!'_

"That's Shizune and Tonton," Jiraiya informed her.

"Hey, hold on! Why would he attack that old lady?" Naruto exclaimed, "He's a nice guy!

"Dammit, they're gone! I'll lead us to Tsunade." Hanara said.

"Kid," Jiraiya turned to Naruto after nodding to Hanara, "Sometimes people aren't who they seem to be, especially ninjas. It's just something we have to live with."

"I know but... he was just so nice." Naruto said sadly, "It's probably a misunderstanding, believe it! Now let's get back to getting that old lady!"

"That's the spirit," Jiraiya laughed.

Hanara, Jiraiya, and Naruto ran after Tsunade (they weren't going to creep out the villagers even more by flying on a fan) for half an hour until she stopped in a tavern.

Jiraiya smiled, "Now let's go in and get something to eat until she gets out. Then I can talk to her."

"Are you kidding me?" Naruto fumed, "It's a tavern! We're underage!"

"You idiot! No one's going to make you do anything!" Jiraiya whisper-shouted as they opened the door.

Tsunade was in the booth across from the entrance.

"Change of plans," he smirked, "We'll go talk to her right now."

"Huh? I don't see an old lady anywhere! Were you just pulling our leg?" Naruto asked.

Jiraiya shook his head, "Just follow me, Naruto. She's here."

He led Naruto and Hanara to Tsunade's table.

"Jiraiya?" Tsunade exclaimed, shocked, "What the- Why are you here?"

"I've been looking for you everywhere, you know that?" he responded, taking a seat opposite to Tsunade and Shizune, "Come on," he told Naruto and Hanara, "You can order something if you're hungry."

"I wanted ramen," Naruto complained as the server came to get their orders.

"Well, too bad," Jiraiya said.

Hanara looked at the menu and decided on some simple kaisendon while Naruto got some plain grilled fish.

"It's like a reunion," Tsunade commented, "All y'alls faces coming back at the same time."

"Right, Orochimaru and some Kabuto kid came to talk to you. What did he want?" Jiraiya asked.

"How did you-" she cut herself off and stared at Hanara while pulling out some cards from the edge of her kimono, "Hyuga. Anyway, It wasn't much. We just said 'hi'. That's about it."

"Right," Hanara said dryly, as the waiter came by with the food, "Because an exchange of greetings suddenly becomes a battle that results in 2 broken walls and the destruction of an ancient castle."

"Stay out of it, kid," Tsunade snapped, "Why were you looking for me, Jiraiya?" she handed him the deck of cards.

"Well, I'll cut right to the chase," he sighed, shuffling the cards, "The Leaf Village wants you to be the Fifth Hokage."

Naruto starts choking on his fish.

 _'Idiot. I already told him that.'_ Hanara thought as she started slapping his back to stop him from dying.

Her back-patting worked and Naruto stopped choking. All the while, Tsunade was dealing out the cards.

_'Does she not care that someone nearly died? What type of medical ninja is she? Tenten's going to be so disappointed.'_

"You heard about Sarutobi-Sensei," Jiraiya stated, "The village needs a leader."

"It was Orochimaru's work, wasn't it? He told me himself."

"Hold up! You're saying that he's the one who killed Gramps? Who is he?" Naruto asked cluelessly.

"Oh, why am I surprised?" Hanara groaned, "He's one of the Sannin, same as Tsunade and Jiraiya. He set the huge snake that the civilians were running from and the one that destroyed the village wall. Ughhh why can't you remember things the first time around!"

"But then why? The Sannin are all from the Leaf, right? So why did he attack the village?" Naruto questioned.

"He's a rogue ninja, same as Sasuke's brother," Hanara answered.

"Who're these brats you've got?" Tsunade asked.

"Well this one's Hanara Hyuga, she came to help us find you," Jiraiya responded, nodding towards Hanara, "And the blond's Naruto Uzumaki, my apprentice."

Tsunade gasped.

_'Wait, she's the First's granddaughter so her grandma's Mito Uzumaki. She's probably related to Naruto!'_

"Wait, there's something I'm not getting!" Naruto exclaimed, "If you know the dude that killed Gramps, why isn't he dealt with? He's a Sannin, one of you guys! Why's he still walking around? Why haven't you caught him?"

Hanara sighed, "Naruto, it's not that simple. The Leaf's been trying to get Orochimaru since he defected over a decade ago. It's standard protocol. Whenever a ninja goes rouge, the village attempts to kill him. Orochimaru's been avoiding and killing tons of ANBU. He's been wanted for a while now, this stunt he pulled is just adding on to his list of crimes."

"Fine, forget about that then," Naruto said grumpily, "What's the deal about her being the Fifth Hokage, anyway?"

_'Ughhh I explained that!'_

"Jiraiya, Kakashi-Sensei, Asuma-Sensei. and Lady Tsunade were all candidates, Jiraiya said no, Kakashi pulled some random excuse, putting Asuma in would be cruel, so Lady Tsunade is all that's left," Hanara answered, "Although I've already said that once. Next time pay attention!"

"Exactly," Jiraiya nodded. He turned to Tsunade, "I'll say it once more. The Leaf's made its decision. Do you accept?"

Tsunade snorted, "Impossible. I decline."

"You what?!?" Naruto gasped.

_'You know, I'm not even surprised. Tsunade's turned from a kunoichi that all girls respect to a drunkard that gambles their problems away. She's ruined herself.'_

"You know, it's kind of funny. Those words ring a bell," Jiraiya said, "You said that the first, and only time, I asked you out."

"Would somebody please tell me what's going on?" Naruto asked, frustrated, "You said we were going to bring her to the village so that she can cure Kakashi-Sensei and Bushy-Brows! Then you pull this stuff about being Hokage and she refuses!"

Hanara didn't answer for once. She couldn't say what was going on in her head

_'What's going on is that we found out Tsunade is not what the textbooks say she is. But she can't refuse...'_

Hanara says as much, "Don't worry Naruto, she knows as much as I do that she can't refuse."

"Huh?" Naruto asked, confused.

"So you caught onto that? Go on then. Explain," Jiraiya told her.

"You see, there's no one the Leaf needs more than Lady Tsunade. No one contributed to the Second Shinobi War more than she did. She combines unrivalled skills as a medic with her super-strength and great ninja skills. Besides, she probably knows the most about being Hokage other than the actual Hokage."

"Huh? How would she know that?" Naruto exclaimed.

"Well, she's the granddaughter of the First Hokage. So in heritage and abilities, she's the clear choice to become the Fifth Hokage." Hanara concluded.

Seeing Naruto's confused face, Jiraiya elaborated, "Once she accepts her destiny, which she will, we can bring her back to the Leaf Village to heal your friends. It's a carefully thought out plan by the council, not something Genin were expected to understand. And you read it like an open book," Jiraiya mumbled the last bit under his breath.

"Ha! You're slipping, Jiraiya. That apprentice of yours isn't anything like Lord Fourth, he's just a fool with a big mouth. He's funny-looking, too, with that dumb look on his face all the time." Tsunade snorted.

Hanara's eye twitched, _'This isn't how you treat long lost relatives, no matter how distantly related.'_

"Oh yeah?" Naruto glared at Tsunade, "Well I'll just become Hokage and prove you wrong! Because that's my dream: to be Hokage!"

"Well, to be fair, it would be hard for anyone to live up to that standard," Jiraiya said, "The Fourth Hokage showed every sign of becoming the greatest ninja of his generation, brimming with talent and ability. He was brilliant, popular, and to top it off, nearly as handsome as his teacher!"

_'Yeah, no.'_

"Sure, but that didn't stop him from dying young," Tsunade said coldly, "He threw his life away for the sake of the village. Money's one thing, a life's another. To risk your life against all odds? That's a sucker's bet."

_'And you would know all about that.'_

"My grandfather and his brother, they were both willing to do the same. And look at the village now! They're both dead and gone and the village isn't anymore safer than it was before." Tsunade told them.

"Sounds to me like you've changed, Tsunade." Jiraiya said sadly, "I don't know what made you like this, but to say such things out loud?"

 _'Tch, if anyone in the Leaf met her right now, they would want her to become a rouge ninja. She's bringing such a bad image.'_

Tsunade laughed bitterly, "Don't forget, I'm not as old as I look anymore. These years have taught me a great deal. Sarutobi-Sensei, too! He should've known better. What was he thinking? Trying to play hero at that age is a death wish!"

Hanara had enough, "What? That becoming a disgrace to your village is the right thing to do? Just look at yourself! Drinking and gambling your life away, running from debts, speaking of your family's hard work with contempt. I don't understand why the village would even want you as Hokage after seeing you in person, let alone speak of you like someone all kunoichi should look up to. Even an Inuzuka's ninja hound would make a better one!"

Tsunade sighed and placed her cards down, "You're right, which is why you should count me out. Playing at Hokage? That's a fool's game."


	42. The Bet

** Last Time: **

_Tsunade sighed and placed her cards down, "You're right, which is why you should count me out. Playing at Hokage? That's a fool's game."_

* * *

** Now: **

Naruto jumped onto the table and ran towards Tsunade, but Hanara pulled him back with her chakra threads.

"Let me at her, Hanara!" Naruto growled.

"That's enough Naruto," Jiraiya scolded, "People are watching!"

Naruto growled and went limp against Hanara's grip.

"Don't think about it, Naruto. I'm not going to let you go." Hanara sighed.

"She needs to learn a lesson! Who does she think she is, insulting the Fourth Hokage and Old Man like that?" Naruto exclaimed angrily.

"I know." Hanara nodded, "Believe me, I think she needs to learn her place, too, but attacking her in the middle of a restaurant isn't going to do anything!"

"I'm not going to just sit here and let her make fun of them! No way! I don't care if she _is_ an old lady!" Naruto yelled, his hand unconsciously forming a fist, "I'll knock that cynical sneer off her face!"

"Is that a challenge?" Tsunade asked.

"Lady Tsunade," Shizune said, warning her.

"You bet it is!" Naruto declared.

"Hmph. You've got guts if nothing else. Let's take this outside, kids." Tsunade smirked, standing up.

"No, no, no," Shizune said worriedly, putting her face in her hands.

"Let him go, Hanara. When Tsunade gets like this, it's best to indulge her," Jiraiya told her.

Hanara released Naruto and sighed, _'Hotheads, the both of them. Ohhhh Tenten is gonna be so disappointed.'_

They all walked outside. Naruto and Tsunade stood on opposite ends of the street while Jiraiya, Hanara, and Shizune stood to the side.

"One of the Legendary Sannin taking on a snot-nosed Genin. I ought to be ashamed of myself," Tsunade said, riling Naruto up.

"Who're you callin' snotty," Naruto demanded.

Hanara shook her head, _'Naruto isn't going to be able to beat her. The best close-range fighters on the field are combat medics and Shadow Clone Jutsu or not, Naruto still can only do close-range. Combat medics can nearly replicate the Gentle Fist, except instead of targeting chakra points, they can target nerves.'_

"One finger," Tsunade said, raising her right hand's pointer, "That's all I'm going to need to beat you."

_'So she's not going to do that. Naruto has a chance.'_

"Please don't," Shizune begged.

_'Do what? ...ohhhhh Tsunade was known for her chakra-enhanced strength. She could destroy boulders with a flick of her finger. She's probably gonna do that but to Naruto. I take that back, Naruto doesn't have a chance. At least he won't die. He'll just take an ego beating.'_

"You're such a showoff," Jiraiya sighed.

Tsunade ignored him, "Well, what are you waiting for? Come at me."

"Don't ever underestimate me!" Naruto growled.

He ran towards her and threw three shurikens, all of which Tsunade dodged. Undeterred, Naruto took out a kunai, but he made the mistake of holding it in grabbing range. Tsunade used her pointer finger and put it through the kunai's hole, spinning it and using its momentum to pull off Naruto's headband. She then used the same finger to flick Naruto's forehead, sending him flying back.

_'Well, that was quick.'_

"Huh. I'm surprised you aren't knocked out yet. Well, one question before you pass out. What makes you so touchy about Hokage?" Tsunade asked.

Naruto smirked, "Because, unlike you, that's my goal. One day, the village will stop ostracizing me and I'll be its leader. To be Hokage, that is my dream."

Still smirking, Naruto creates a blue ball of concentrated chakra. It didn't look like the completed version, but Hanara was sure it would do its job. Looking shocked, Tsunade flicked Naruto with her finger once again, causing a huge crater.

"Jiraiya!" Tsunade gasped, as Shizune ran up to Naruto, "Did you teach him the Rasengan?"

"Well of course I did," Jiraiya said proudly, "I'm his teacher after all. What of it?"

Tsunade scoffed, "Tch. What were you thinking? You and Lord Fourth were the only ones that could use it! What's the point of teaching it to someone that would never learn it? Next thing you know, I'll be hearing that you gave someone the Flying Thunder God! Stop playing with his dreams and giving him false hopes! It's not like this kid will even be Hokage one day."

That got Naruto mad, "Just give me three days and I'll have that jutsu down flat."

"Ha! Watch what you say, kid, I might just hold you down to it!" Tsunade said.

"Heh. I said it and I never go back on my word. That's my nindo, my ninja way." Naruto declared.

 _'If he's gonna train that hard, I might as well, too. Almost got Rotative Blades down, anyway.'_ Hanara thought, smiling. Naruto did give off a dumb blonde vibe sometimes, but he was also extremely inspiring. It's what kept her around him.

"Well then, care to make a bet? I say that you can't master that jutsu in a week. If you win, I'll admit that I was wrong and that you could actually become Hokage. I'll even throw in this necklace."

"Lady Tsunade, you don't mean that!" Shizune exclaimed.

_'What's so special about it?'_

"Heh, you can keep that. I'm not into jewelry." Naruto said.

"You numbskull, that necklace belonged to the First Hokage himself!" Jiraiya yelled.

_'Huh, I didn't know that.;_

"Why that little thing is worth three gold mines and the mountains on top of 'em," Jiraiya informed them.

_'That's a one-sided bet if I've ever heard one.'_

Naruto's eyes widened and he hastily said, "You've got yourself a bet, lady."

"All right. However, if you lose, I get all the money in froggy," she said, holding out Naruto's stuffed wallet.

"Not Gama!" Naruto exclaimed, searching his clothes to see how she could have taken it.

_'That's more like it.'_

Shizune ran up to Tsunade, "Lady Tsunade, what are you doing? How can you just gamble away that necklace?"

"They haven't a chance of winning. Let's go," she responded, briskly turning away after tossing Naruto his wallet.

* * *

The next week, Hanara spent her time training and exploring the village. It was the perfect place for tourists with tons of restaurants, festivals, and stores to go to. That wasn't important, though. What _was_ important was the fact that she finally mastered Eight Trigrams: Rotative Blades. That's right. She finally managed to create three kunai-shaped blades (minus the handles) and control them decently. She could take away a blade or add up to three mid-attack and it could go through just about anything. It was definitely the most chakra control intensive attack she had, but it was worth it.

On the last day of Naruto's time limit, Hanara was startled when she walked out of her room to be met with a frantic Shizune and Jiraiya along with a confused-looking Naruto.

"Ah! Don't just stand right in front of my door like that!" she exclaimed before taking in their expressions, "What is it?"

"There's no time to lose, I'll explain on the way!" Shizune told her, walking inside her room and opening the window, "For now, please track down Orochimaru and Tsunade."

"On it," Hanara nodded. Whatever happened, if Orochimaru was involved it's nothing good, "Byakugan!"

The four of them jumped out the window and followed bits and pieces of Tsunade's chakra. Her chakra, like all medics', was a cool and inviting green, although not as inviting as most, indicating that Tsunade hadn't healed much in a while. Everywhere someone went, a bit of their chakra was left behind. Usually, only trackers that used their noses, like Inuzukas, or extremely good sensors, could sense it. However, Hanara's Byakugan caught nearly all the tiniest of details.

As Hanara tracked down Tsunade, Shizune explained the deal Orochimaru had given them. If Tsunade agreed to heal Orochimaru's arms, he would bring her sister and lover back to life. Hanara was disgusted. Only someone as foul as Orochimaru would even think of proposing a deal that preyed on someone's feelings. She had no idea what happened to Tsunade's brother and fiancé, but it couldn't have been anything good.

They passed by the original meeting place that looked like Tsunade destroyed but Hanara ignored the debris and continued to follow Tsunade's and now, Orochimaru's trail. Orochimaru's chakra was vile. It seemed tainted and almost... _slimy_. It looked horrible. Hanara felt bad for any sensor type that stayed anywhere near him. His chakra was disgusting, just like his personality.

Hanara stopped at an open field where Kabuto, Orochimaru, and Tsunade stood but didn't deactivate her Byakugan. Depending on the situation, she could be fighting two Sannin and a ninja whose abilities she didn't know. On her side was a Genin that has proven himself to be quite stupid, a Sannin that was drugged, and a medical ninja who's full abilities were unknown. If it really did come to that, it was almost certain that they would be defeated.

"It's been a long time, old friend," Orochimaru spoke.

"A long time indeed," Jiraiya agreed, "And I can't say it improved your looks any."

Orochimaru merely chuckled. Although Hanara was sure that it wasn't meant to sound creepy, it really did. Along with the vile chakra inside him... even if she didn't know how horrible he was, Hanara would never want to be anywhere close to the Snake Sannin.

Naruto gasped and pointed at Kabuto, who was beside Orochimaru, "Hey, Kabuto!"

Kabuto shot Naruto an evil grin, "Naruto. Hanara."

"Ah, so this is the boy you mentioned, Hanara. The one in the Chunin Exams." Jiraiya commented.

"What are you doing here?" Naruto asked.

"I already told you, Naruto." Hanara muttered, "He's on Orochimaru'sside."

"Out of my way!" Tsunade yelled, pushing Jiraiya and advancing towards Kabuto, "Stay out of this! I can handle them!"

Tsunade jumped and attempted to attack Kabuto. Before she could, though, Kabuto slit his wrist and covered Tsunade in his blood, causing Tsunade to become paralyzed with fear.

_'Hemophobia... I had no idea.'_

Kabuto mercilessly punched Tsunade away, causing Shizune to hurriedly catch her.

"Your jutsu's worn off," Kabuto informed the shaking Sannin, "I knew I wouldn't have been able to take down two Sannin, but at least I got one."

Naruto watched the scene with wide eyes, "But... Kabuto! I don't get it! I'm confused, did I miss something?"

"Look at his forehead protector," Hanara told him, "It's a Sound one, not a Leaf one. Kabuto's with Orochimaru."

"I see you're as slow as ever, Naruto," Kabuto said, walking up to them, "No wonder you're no match for Sasuke. I was sent by Orochimaru to spy on Sasuke and gather information on you. I learned one thing, you're not a bit like Sasuke."

Naruto glared.

"Tch, you really know nothing about battle tactics, don't you," Hanara sneered, trying to stop Kabuto before Naruto got too upset, "Don't give your opponent any information about yourself. It would've been more beneficial if Naruto was hesitant to attack you. Even though you pride yourself on your knowledge and Orochimaru thought you were smart, you're quite stupid. The Snake Sannin has quite low standards, doesn't he?"

Kabuto's smirk faltered, "With such a blunt personality, it's no wonder your father banished you to the Branch Family. You have no skill for the diplomacy needed in a clan head."

Hanara focused on her facial expression, trying not to prove to Kabuto that he got to her. Being the clan head honestly didn't matter to her at all. What hurt was the fact that Hiashi abandoned her just because of her time of birth. Hinata could have easily been in her situation, but because she came out first, Hanara was the one stuck with a seal on her forehead.

Evidently, Hanara failed because Kabuto said, "Go on, glare at me all you want, you two are still pint-sized Genin that are in over your heads. I admit, the demon inside Naruto had me worried at a time, but standing next to the three Sannin, I see how insignificant the two of you are. You're just mere children sitting at the adult table. If you don't get out of my way, I'll kill you."

"Oh yeah?" Naruto glared and ran towards Kabuto.

 _'I'll show you.'_ Hanara thought, making a water clone and going in for a close-range attack. She would've gone for long-range but she might have hit Naruto.

"Hanara, Naruto, no!" Jiraiya yelled.

As Naruto's clones closed in on Kabuto, Kabuto used the blood on his wrist to blind them and the clones dispelled. Hanara used some chakra threads, forced Naruto out of her jutsu's range, pulled out her fan, and enlarged it.

"Wind Style: Wind Scythe Jutsu!"

A mini-tornado was created and it attacked Kabuto, pushing him back, giving him cuts, and causing him to lose more blood.

Once it died down, Kabuto reached into his weapon's pouch and took out a pill.

"Plasma pill," Shizune muttered.

"Plasma pill?" Naruto asked.

"Well, of course," Hanara said, "He's trying to replenish lost blood."

"No, you misunderstood me. What's plasma to begin with?" Naruto asked.

"It's the colourle-" Hanara began to explain.

"Forget that, there's no time," Jiraiya interrupted. 

"He's a medical ninja, like me," Shizune commented, "That means, I should be the one to take him on."

Kabuto walked back to Orochimaru and began to unwrap the bandages on Orochimaru's left arm.

"Well now, let's get down to business," Jiraiya said, "Shizune."

"Yes," she responded, snapping back to attention.

"I'll let you take care of four-eyes there." Jiraiya told her, "Just leave Orochimaru to me."

"Hey! What about us?" Naruto demanded.

"Isn't it obvious?" Hanara asked, "We have to stand guard over Tsunade and Tonton. In this fight, we'd be liabilities."

"No! That guy has to pay!" Naruto insisted.

"That guy was right, you _are_ in over your head, Naruto. Our opponent is one of the Sannin, like me and Tsunade, and killed Lord Third. Glasses over there could go toe-to-toe with Kakashi if he had to! Just forget it. Just one last thing," Jiraiya turned to Shizune, "Can you do anything about my body?"

"I'm sorry, but the only thing we can do is wait for it to get out of your system," Shizune responded apologetically, "I'm sorry, but it can't be helped, Master Jiraiya."

"What? You've got to be kidding!" he sighed, "Oh well, what can you do? I'll just face him as I am."


	43. The Battle of The Sannin

** Last Time: **

_"I'm sorry, but the only thing we can do is wait for it to get out of your system," Shizune responded apologetically, "I'm sorry, but it can't be helped, Master Jiraiya."_

_"What? You've got to be kidding!" he sighed, "Oh well, what can you do? I'll just face him as I am."_

* * *

** Now: **

Jiraiya and Kabuto both bit their thumbs. Jiraiya started making the hand signs for the Summoning Jutsu while Kabuto swiped his blood against the designs on Orochimaru's arm.

"Summoning Jutsu!" they both announced.

Kabuto summoned two huge snakes while Jiraiya summoned a tiny toad.

"What's up?" the toad asked.

"Gamakichi? What are you doing here? Where's your dad?" Jiraiya asked, irritated.

"Hey, hey! Long time no see!" the to- sorry, Gamakichi exclaimed.

"You were always ridiculous, but this time you've outdone yourself, Jiraiya," Orochimaru commented, "Clearly our Tsunade has gotten to you."

Kabuto stood up, "Your jutsu did require a sacrifice. Perhaps she was thinking ahead, drugging him to suppress his power."

_'But how would that work? If Tsunade was clearly trying to kill Orochimaru right now...?'_

"To think she would try to sacrifice Jiraiya. You're as ruthless as ever, Tsunade." Orochimaru smirked, " _You're_ still as big a disgrace as the day we first met, Jiraiya."

Naruto growled and attempted the Summoning Jutsu, "Summoning Jutsu!"

"The Nine-Tails brat from the Chunin Exams," Orochimaru muttered, "I suppose I should have killed him when I had the chance, but I let him slip by for the sake of the Akatsuki and their goals. But the only ones capable of breaking a five-pronged seal were the Sannin and Third Hokage."

_'He knows of the Akatsuki? He has valuable info, someone please keep him talking!'_

"That may be, but Jiraiya is training him," Kabuto said.

_'Dammit. No more Akatsuki talk.'_

Orochimaru smiled creepily, "You could be right. If he learned to harness the power of the Nine-Tails, it's possible."

The smoke cleared and another tiny toad appeared. Hanara sighed and shook her head. She would have tried to help, but her phoenixes weren't any good for Jiraiya's style. It completely revolved around his toad usage, from what she's heard and seen.

"What happened? Where did I go wrong?" Naruto yelled, throwing his hands up in the air.

Hanara, who had been watching Naruto's chakra pour into the jutsu replied, "You didn't put enough chakra."

Naruto groaned and ignored the toad that introduced himself as Gamatatsu.

Seeing no more threats, Orochimaru said, "Let's begin. Kabuto, leave Jiraiya to me, the rest are yours to play with."

_'He really creeps me out...'_

"Now, that's a shame," Kabuto mock-sighed, "I'd been hoping to test myself against another one of the Sannin."

"Naruto, look out!" Hanara yelled, seeing two giant snake heads coming right at them

Hanara quickly dispelled her clone and swung her fan underneath her, narrowly missing getting squashed by a snake by taking to the air. Meanwhile, on the ground, everyone was sent flying because of the impact the snakes had on it. It wasn't as strong as Tsunade's flick, but it wasn't too far off either. Naruto, however, was the worst off. A snake had begun to swallow him. Cursing, Hanara performed the Summoning Jutsu and slammed her hands onto the fan.

"M'lady, what do you need?" Pho asked, flapping her wings.

"You see that snake that's trying to eat Naruto? Could you maybe poke its eyes out or something? Just make it scream so that Naruto can jump out." Hanara told her.

"Of course!" Pho nodded, flying towards the snake and fiercely attacking its eyes with her beak.

It didn't take long for the snake to scream, allowing Naruto to safely jump on a rock.

"Thanks, Pho!" Naruto called out.

 _'At this point, flying is just wasting chakra,'_ Hanara thought, moving herself to the rock Naruto was standing on, _'The ground is safe enough.'_

How wrong she was. Even though Pho was distracting the snake, it seemed like it still wanted to kill Naruto. So, it slammed itself against the rock. Or at least, it tried to.

Hanara, who still had her fan in her hand, swung it, "Wind Style: Wind Scythe Jutsu!"

At the same time, Pho exhaled fire, "Fire Style: Fire Dragon Bomb!"

_'Forgot she could do that.'_

Hanara's wind fanned Pho's flames and the snake burnt until it was nothing but ashes. While Hanara and Pho were burning the snake, Naruto had run off to escape getting caught in the fire himself and fight against Kabuto, who wasattacking Naruto's muscles and nerves. It seemed like he had defeated Shizune and almost defeated Tsunade using the same technique if their exhausted bodies were anything to go by.

_'I'm the only one who's used to sparring people that do anything remotely close to that and the only long-range fighter. I need to go and help!'_

"Pho! Come on! We need to help Naruto." Hanara commanded, rushing towards them.

As Hanara got closer, she was able to scan the damage that Naruto's body had sustained. _'A fractured thigh bone and a severed lateral vastus muscle on his right leg. He won't be able to move! Dammit!'_

When Hanara arrived at the scene, she saw Kabuto kicking Naruto repeatedly.

"Little kids think life is so easy," Kabuto sneered, apparently not noticing Hanara, "That's why they're always going on and on about their dreams and why they never give up. They go chasing after some stupid dream and die."

_'One strike'll do it. He's a medic, it'll mess up his control and he won't be able to use his chakra scalpels.'_

"Ha!" Hanara grunted, putting a bit more chakra and force into the Gentle Fist strike than she usually did.

Kabuto growled, and kicked Naruto back to Tsunade, "The two of you should have stayed out of this."

Kabuto turned to face Hanara and attempted to make a chakra scalpel, but nothing happened. He attempted several times, but it proved fruitless. Glaring, Kabuto pulled out five shurikens and threw them at her, but Hanara simply performed Rotation and they were blocked. Naruto used this as a distraction and charged at Kabuto.

"RASENGAN!" he yelled, going behind Kabuto and smashing the blue ball into his lower back, causing Kabuto to fly into a rock.

But, after that display of power, Naruto fell to his knees and clutched his chest while Kabuto slowly staggered to his feet. Confused, Hanara checked Naruto over once again and swore.

"Shit! Lady Tsunade, if you don't get over there and help him, Naruto's going to die! Kabuto weakened his heart muscles! He has an erratic heartbeat." Hanara exclaimed, "I don't know the first thing about medical ninjutsu!"

Kabuto chuckled evilly, "I had heard Naruto charging at me and focused my chakra at the area of where his attack was going to land. Now you see why Lord Orochimaru values me so much. It isn't my knowledge like you assumed, but my recuperative powers. No matter how great the injury, I can repair my damaged cells. Naruto, however, doesn't have that gift. He looks finished."

Growling, Hanara slipped into her Gentle Fist stance, "Let's see you recuperate from this! Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams, Rotative Blades!" 

Using all the strength left in her, Hanara commanded all three blades to attack Kabuto. He was too weakened to dodge and so, all three blades pierced through him and Hanara started to move them around, trying to cause as much damage as possible. It was a disgusting image to look at, for sure. She held it together for about 30 seconds before collapsing. Hanara's Byakugan deactivated and Pho disappeared in a puff of smoke. That was all she needed to know. She did use two chakra intensive jutsus, use her Byakugan for an extended period of time, and use the Wind Scythe jutsu without giving herself a break.

"Chakra... ex- exhaustion." she forced out, just in case Tsunade began to worry about her, too.

And then she blacked out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, do you think Hanara proved her point? Did Hanara just cause Kabuto excruciating pain and an extended stay in Orochimaru's hospital equivalent? Or is Kabuto *gasp* dead? I guess you'll find out... in the next chapter!


	44. Mission Leader

A few days later, Hanara woke up, sore everywhere. Before trying to open her eyes, she took a moment to orientate herself. Flashes of memories flooded her brain: giant snakes, Orochimaru, Tsunade's hemophobia, _Kabuto_ , her newly perfected jutsu, and then finally, her passing out with chakra exhaustion. 

_'So I must be in a hospital.'_ Hanara thought, finally opening her eyes, preparing herself to be attacked by white everywhere. Slowly, she stretched her arms and groaned when her elbows popped.

"She's awake!" a voice that sounded like Choji exclaimed, "Someone should go and get Lady Fifth!"

_'People are here?'_

Hanara quickly scanned the room as a flash of blond attacked her in the form of a hug, finding all her teammates in there, along with Neji and Hinata, the former who was leaving the room.

"I will," Neji said.

"God, H-Hanara! Don't do t-that to us again, got it?" Ino sobbed.

"W-We w-were all w-worried, S-Sister," Hinata said softly.

"It was just chakra exhaustion, wasn't it?" Hanara asked.

"What a drag..." Shikamaru sighed, "Chakra exhaustion is one of the most common reasons for a shinobi's death. Your chakra levels were extremely low when you got here."

"I-It was only at a sixteenth of what it usually is at," Choji mumbled, "Lady Tsunade said that they were at a thirty-sixth of what they used to be when you-"

Lady Tsunade interrupted, "Okay! All visitors please get out, we need to perform a check-up here!"

"B-But she just w-woke up!" Ino exclaimed, still sniffling.

"And I need to check on her so it stays that way," Lady Tsunade responded, "Now, OUT!"

Everyone but Lady Tsunade hurriedly left the room.

Lady Tsunade turned to her, "If that last jutsu you used was so chakra intensive, you should have left Kabuto to me."

Hanara averted her eyes to the bed, "I just- he made me so mad and I- I know I shouldn't have done it but I wasn't sure if you would be okay and I'm just a random Branch Hyuga member. You're probably the last Senju, the best medical ninja to ever exist, and the only candidate for the Fifth Hokage. Compared to you and Naruto, I'm replaceable. You're not. Besides, it did its job, didn't it? You're not crying your eyes out so Naruto must be alive."

Tsunade sighed, "Yes, Kabuto is dead and it did its job, but one life isn't worth more than another! Look at how many people were upset by the fact that you could die! Yes, I'm the last Senju by name, but we're going to die out anyway. The Leaf has tons of adequate medical ninja and Shizune could pass my teachings on to someone else! And there are other candidates for Hokage! Your life has meaning, too! I'm touched that you would die for me, but you don't have to do that. All those titles were well-earned."

"I'm sorry- Wait, Kabuto is dead? Is Naruto upset?" Hanara asked, panicked.

"Yeah, that jutsu of yours is something else. Naruto was upset for a while, but eventually, he understood. Now, let me do what I came here for."

Tsunade performed a diagnostic jutsu on her and smiled, "Rest was all you needed. Your chakra is at normal levels now, and you're free to be released, but _nothing strenuous for a week._ "

"Yes ma'am," Hanara nodded.

"Oh, and you've made Chunin," Tsunade informed her.

"I made Chunin?" Hanara asked in disbelief.

"You and your Nara teammate were the only people that all judges agreed on. I wasn't going to pass anyone, seeing as the tournament was interrupted, but in his notes, you and the Nara were mentioned with astounding approval." Lady Tsunade said.

"O-Oh..."

"You missed the ceremony, so here's your vest," Lady Tsunade handed over the Leaf's standard Chunin vest.

"Thank you," Hanara smiled.

"Now shoo! I've got work to get to!" Tsunade demanded.

* * *

A week passed by and Hanara spent it mainly with Squad 10 sans Asuma (who was on a mission), but two days before she was free for duty, they were called on a mission, too. It was simple for a B-rank, just escorting a distant relative of the Daimyo, but Hanara was going to miss them.

Two days later, Hanara was called in for a mission.

* * *

"HUH???" Naruto exclaimed, "SHE'S OUR SQUAD LEADER?"

"I'm their what??" Hanara asked.

Tsunade slammed a fist on her desk, "Naruto! Let me explain! Hanara, as our resources are stretched thin and you have just recovered, you will be leading Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura on a B-rank escort mission to the Land of Tea. You'll be escorting someone important."

"Someone important? Really?" Sakura asked, intrigued.

Ignoring her, Tsunade continued, "Of course, it could develop into an A-rank, which is why you're here, Hanara."

"Yes! This'll be awesome!" Naruto cheered.

"So, who are we escorting?" Sasuke asked.

_'At least someone is going to get to the point.'_

"I don't know," Tsunade responded.

_'Wait the Land of Tea has a race every four years at the Todoroki Shrine to select which family will be in charge. I'm guessing we're going to be escorting one of the runners.'_

"Hold on! How can you not know?" Naruto exclaimed.

"Are we escorting one of the runners for the race at the Great Todoroki Shrine?" Hanara asked, voicing her thoughts, "But don't they tell you who?"

"Yes," Tsunade nodded, "You will be escorting one of the runners. Every four years, we of the Leaf are asked to escort one of the runners, but this year the messengers that tell us who were attacked. Once you meet Boss Jirocho, everything will be clear."

"Do you know who attacked them or anything about how the attackers fight?" Hanara asked.

"We found their bodies and it seemed that they were attacked by poisoned senbon," Tsunade informed them.

"Got it." Hanara nodded, "Any questions, Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto?"

They all shook their heads.

"That's all I know. Now, hurry up, they're expecting you at sundown," Tsunade yelled.

"They are? Okay." Hanara said, tying her hair into a ponytail, "Squad 7, we're flying."

"Flying?" Sakura asked.

_'Oh right, she hasn't met Pho. Sasuke and Sakura can go on her, Naruto can go on a fan with me.'_

"I've got phoenix summons. Once we're out, I'll get her." Hanara told them, "Let's go."

* * *

A few hours later, Hanara heard Naruto's stomach rumble.

_'He's hungry, huh? Well, I guess we can stop for a lunch break. Pho must be getting tired and I can't keep this up all day.'_

"Okay guys, let's stop for lunch, I see a tea house. We'll be running after that," she said, "Pho, land in the trees, we don't want to freak out civilians."

"Yes, m'lady."

The four shinobi walked into the tea house and a lady quickly ushered them to their seats.

"What will you be having?" the waitress asked.

Hanara quickly scanned the menu, "Some sweet bean soup, please."

"Just rice," Sasuke muttered.

"I'll have some dumplings if you don't mind," Sakura said.

"Sweet bean soup for me, too!" Naruto exclaimed.

The waitress smiled, "Thank you, I will be back in a moment."

_'Sasuke doesn't eat very nutritious food...'_

"I hope we get some fighting in!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Well I don't," Hanara snorted, "I don't fancy having to go back to the hospital right after I was cleared for duty."

"Don't you dare go making trouble, Naruto. Not this time." Sakura glared.

"I won't," Naruto grumbled.

The waitress came back and gave everyone their food, "Enjoy!"

"Thank you for the food!" everyone chorused before digging in.

"Just sitting around in the shade sucking some sweet bean soup. The ninja life's pretty cushy, huh?" a built (for a civilian) boy said.

_'I've seen that face before...'_

Naruto rose to the bait, "What'd you say?"

Hanara glared, "Shut up, Naruto."

Smirking, the boy continued, "I'm guessing you don't get much action in the Leaf Village, based on how out of shape you look."

Hanara snorted, _'He's calling the people that faced a Sannin and survived out of shape. That's priceless. And, the Leaf literally just went through an invasion.'_

"Okay, that's it!" Naruto exclaimed, slamming his fists on the table.

The boy ignored Naruto and turned to Sakura, "Hey sweetie, where'd you come from? I didn't see you sitting here. Those insults weren't for you, of course."

"Uh, thank you," Sakura responded, looking a bit confused.

He bent down so that Sakura didn't have to look up, "Hello there, I'm Idate Morino. So, uh, what do they call you?"

Naruto started shouting again but Hanara didn't pay attention.

_'That's where I've seen him! One of the first things Asuma-Sensei did before we took our first D-rank was memorize nearly all the missing ninja from the Leaf and Rock and some of the more dangerous ones from other lands too. The ones that would have the biggest grudges against us. Idate Morino was a Genin when he left the Leaf during the second round of the Chunin Exams. He's the younger brother to the Head of T &I, Ibiki Morino, our first exam proctor. Not a high-level threat, which is probably why there hasn't been ANBU against him. All four of us could beat him no problem. His highest skill is his speed.'_

Hanara zoned back into the conversation.

"-there's one thing I can't stand, it's ninja." Idate snarled.

"If you can't stand us then I kindly ask you to leave," Hanara said, smiling sweetly, "Talking to Leaf ninja isn't in your best interests, you know."

Idate paled, probably understanding the implications. If a ninja ran into a rogue shinobi from their land, they were duty-bound to handing the ninja in. Idate wasn't a threat yet, so Hanara was perfectly fine with leaving him alone, but if he became one, then...

Team 7 stared at Hanara in confusion, but she didn't mind them.

Idate put on a fake smile, "Well, since a beauty like yourself asked, I suppose I have no other option but to comply."

Hanara rolled her eyes but let him go.

"Hey, Hanara, what did you mean by that?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, showing his interest.

"Oh, well, if he continued to bother us, I wouldn't be above having a nice, _friendly_ , spar with him," she said innocently, going back to drinking her soup. 

* * *

Once everyone was done eating, their waitress handed them two bills.

"Hey, why are there two bills?" Sakura asked.

"Oh, your friend over there just left and said you'd be paying for it." the waitress answered.

Naruto growled, "I knew it! I should have flattened him while I had the chance!"

Hanara sighed, "It's okay guys, I'll cover for both of 'em."

_'I'm probably the most well off financially, anyway. At least, Hiashi gives his clan's orphans a decent sum of money. Besides, the leader of a mission gets more money, too. Still, I'm going to have a word with him.'_

Hanara paid for both bills and focused her chakra to her eyes, "Byakugan."

"Where is he?" Sakura asked.

Hanara let out a low whistle, "Damn, that kid's fast. I don't know what kind of training he's been getting but it works. Okay, let's go before he gets out of my sight."

Naruto opened his mouth to ask a question but Hanara answered before he could.

"We're not flying. I'm not wasting any more chakra when we still have a mission."

* * *

A few minutes later, they caught up to him.

"You got a lot of nerve." Sasuke said, glaring at Idate, "Did you think you'd get away with it?"

Idate falls to his knees dramatically and looks to the ground, "I'm sorry! I couldn't pay the bill! All my money's been stolen!"

_'Breathing heavily, movement of the head, not keeping eye-contact. Three signs that he's telling a lie.'_

"No way! All your money?" Sakura asked.

Hanara held a hand up to silence her.

"Haven't you heard of the Byakugan?" Hanara smirked, staring straight at Idate, "Well, it can see through things and mine is activated. I can clearly see all your money in your pocket. You have enough to pay for your bill. Besides, even if I couldn't, you suck at lying. Your breathing pattern increased, you moved your head suddenly, and you avoided eye-contact. All of those are tell-tale signs of a liar."

In one fluid movement, Idate dropped his leg weights, picked up a pocket knife, and ran.

"You can't catch me again!" he screamed.

Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura, all moved to run after him, but Hanara stopped them.

"Come on, that's enough. We need to get to the Land of Tea by sundown."

"But- He just- We have to!" Naruto sputtered. 

"You're gonna run into jerks like him everywhere. Let's just leave him alone."

"Hanara! He robbed you!" Naruto exclaimed.

"I'm your mission leader, you have to listen to me." Hanara glared, "We're just going to go to the Land of Tea. If you run into him again, you can give him a piece of your mind."

"Fine, let's go to the Land of Tea."

They all nodded and continued to their destination.


	45. The Client

Squad 7 and Hanara were currently sitting with the man who Tsunade called Boss Jirocho.

"Welcome." Boss Jirocho smiled, "I thank you all for coming."

Hanara was about to respond, but Naruto beat her to it.

He extended his hand for a handshake and responded, "I beg you greetings and offer you my services. I have come from the Village Hidden in the Leaves, which is also the place of my birth. I was raised on hard work and ramen and given the family name of Uzumaki. However, I am known to everyone as-"

"The knucklehead," Sasuke cut in.

Hanara let out a snort and hurriedly covered her mouth, "I- I apologize."

For the first three years of her life, Hanara was given etiquette lessons, which were then continued in the Academy through kunoichi lessons. Even if she didn't, anyone knew that snorting in a formal environment was rude.

Surprisingly, Boss Jirocho also burst out into laughter, "It's fine. I see Naruto hasn't changed much. You're the Hyuga girl that was with Naruto and Tsunade, right?"

"Yes sir," Hanara nodded, "I'm also the leader of this mission. Lady Tsunade informed me that you would give us the mission details?"

"Mhm. All right then," Boss Jirocho nodded, "You know about the dedication ceremonies held at the Great Todoroki Shrine, don't you?"

"Yes," Hanara said.

"No," Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura chorused.

"Well, it started long ago," Boss Jirocho began, "The legend goes that in ancient times there were terrible storms. In desperation, people dedicated Ryoko stones to the Great Todoroki Shrine. It worked and the storms subsided. Now, to prevent history from repeating itself, it happens every four years. At first, it was just a re-dedication of the jewels, then it became a festival with a race that made the winner be treated as a hero. Now," Boss Jirocho said sadly, "what was once a friendly race became something much more troubling. For generations, Fort Degarashi has been split by two families: the Wagarashis and the Wasabis, two rivalling gambling organizations. Both families wanted control over the town, which naturally lead to disputes. These disagreements often became violent, resulting in all-out battles. The rest of the townspeople often were caught in the crossfire. To stop this from happening, our district leader made us come to an agreement: henceforth, the leader of the town would be decided by a race that would take place every four years. Four years ago, the Wagarashi beat us by hiring a squad of ninja and we suspect they have done so this year as well. That's why instead of asking for one ninja as we usually do, we have asked for a squad. I beg you, please lend our family your strength. We cannot let the Wagarashi win again."

"Not going to happen! You've got Naruto Uzumaki on the job!" Naruto exclaimed.

Hanara nodded, "I assure you, we will do our absolute best to give you a win."

"So, who are we escorting?" Sasuke asked.

_'I'm starting to feel like he's the most responsible one around here.'_

"Excellent, that means you'll take the job!" Boss Jirocho smiled.

_'No, we totally didn't just say that.'_

"Idate, come in!" he called.

_'Oh, hell no!'_

"Yes, Boss? You needed me?" Idate asked, sliding open the shoji door.

 _'I have the feeling that things just got a whole lot more complicated.'_ Hanara internally groaned.

Naruto and Idate pointed at each other, "It's you!"

_'Damn it! My first mission as a squad leader and I've got to deal with this mess! Okay, Hanara. Be professional. That can't be too hard.'_

"So you already know each other? That makes everything easier!" Boss Jirocho exclaimed.

"I wouldn't be so sure," Sakura muttered under her breath.

_'Agreed.'_

"Idate, they will be your guards for the race. Please show them around," Jirocho requested.

"But Boss-"

"Please, Idate," Jirocho interrupted.

"Okay, Boss," Idate sighed, "Come on."

* * *

After walking around for a bit, Sasuke and Sakura left, leaving Idate with Naruto and Hanara.

"Boss Jirocho is a big guy around here," Idate snarled, "He shouldn't have to beg and bow to a bunch of _shinobi wannabes_."

_'Uh, that's not how it works... we treat our clients with respect provided that they pay for the correct rank. They have no need to beg or bow.'_

"He can beg and bow all he wants!" Naruto exclaimed, "There's no way I'm going to escort a lousy cheapskate like you anyway! You robbed Hanara!"

"Fine. Believe me, if I wanted an escort, I wouldn't get a snot-nosed runt that barely reaches my kneecaps or a girl that looks like she should be at home playing with dolls." Idate said.

Hanara smiled tightly, "Yes, he robbed me and for that, I'd like to Gentle Fist his ass to the Bloody Mist and back, but if we escort him I get that money and then some. For that reason, as your captain, I'm going to have to ask you to please escort him. Also, Idate, I'd like to remind you that I am a Chunin and very much qualified to take a B-ranked mission, and Naruto's team is made up of some of the strongest Genin the Leaf has."

_'It's true. Few Genin have a summoning animal and Sasuke knows elemental jutsu.'_

"Yeah!" Naruto agreed, "Who do you think you're calling, runt? I'm going to be Hokage someday!" 

"Tch. Hokage? Big deal!" Idate scoffed. 

"It's better than being the boss of a bunch of gamblers!" Naruto shot back.

_'Too far, Naruto. It's not like he wasn't asking for it, though.'_

"Hey, squirt, my boss' a great leader so watch what you say!" Idate said, defensive.

_'They're never gonna get along...'_

"A great leader, huh? Would he sacrifice himself for the village like the Hokage would? That's a great leader!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Are you kidding me? Boss Jirocho would sacrifice his life, his heart, his soul, and the soul of his children's children for all of eternity!" Idate said.

"Yeah? Well, the Hokage would do all that and more twice a day!" Naruto yelled.

_'Actually, the closest to that a Hokage's come to (that I know of) were those rumours that Lord Third sacrificed his soul to the Shinigami to seal Orochimaru's arms. I can already tell that this'll be a long mission. How can Kakashi deal with this team every day?'_

* * *

Early the next morning, Sasuke, Hanara, Sakura, and Naruto, all stand behind Idate and wait for the race to begin.

"Woah! I had no idea that this was such a big deal!" Naruto exclaimed as some fireworks went off.

_'It's like the election of the Hokage except more frequent. Of course, it's a big deal!'_

"So, what kind of race is it?" Naruto asked.

"The kind with a start and finish," Hanara sassed, pulling out a map, "I'll explain, don't worry. The starting point is here: Port Degarashi. From here, the runners make their way to Modoroki Shrine, which is the midpoint."

"They run over water?" Naruto asked in awe.

Hanara facepalmed, "No, the first part is done by boat, see?" she pointed at the word Port on the map.

"Ohhh."

"Anyway, the runners pick up the Ryoko jewels from the Modoroki Shrine and take it to the Great Todoroki Shrine. The first one there wins," Hanara said, "That's all the rules. From there, anything goes. Shortcuts, dirty tricks, anything."

"That's why hiring ninja is allowed," Sasuke said.

"I see," Naruto nodded to himself

"Yeah." Hanara nodded.

"What about the other ninja hired?" Sakura questioned.

"Yeah! I wanna fight them, ya know! Show 'em what I've got!" Naruto exclaimed.

"They're around, but keeping a low profile. Watch your step, okay?" Hanara warned, "From what Tsunade told us, I'm guessing they're either Mist ninja or Rain ninja because they're the ones that use senbon the most."

"Hn," Sasuke grunted.

"Couldn't you fly Idate?" Sakura asked.

Hanara shrugged, "Don't want to risk it. If he wins, the Wagarashi might say, 'The ninja flew him, that's against the rules!'"

Idate turned towards them, "Whatever happens, just stay away from me, okay?"

_'We're supposed to_ **_protect_ ** _you...'_

"Say what?" Naruto exclaimed.

"I've got a race to run and I don't need you guys in my way!" Idate said.

_'Well assuming that you aren't going to fly like I am, I won't be in your way.'_

"In your way? You-" Naruto growled.

"Hey, hold on! Can't we all just work together?" Sakura interrupted.

"With him? Never!" both boys said, pointing at each other.

They both crossed their arms and turned away from each other.

Hanara sighed, _'I miss my team. They're never like this.'_

"Attention! Attention!" a man yelled, "The Great Todoroki Shrine Race is about to begin! Running for the Wasabi: Idate Morino!"

Lots of people started cheering, but Idate just puts up his hand.

_'Not very egoistic, just wants to get the job done. I can appreciate that. Makes my job easier.'_

_"_ Running for the Wagarashi: Fukusuke Hiyakuya!"

When everyone cheered for him, the man punched the air and yelled, "Yeah!"

"Runners! Take your marks!" the door in front of them slowly opened to reveal the ocean and some boats, "Go!"


	46. The Race

** Last time: **

_"Runners! Take your marks!" the door in front of them slowly opened to reveal the ocean and some boats, "Go!"_

* * *

** Now: **

Idate and Fukusuke take off immediately and Hanara whipped out her fan to follow from the air.

She stared at Team Seven, "What are you guys waiting for? Follow him! I'm going to be following from the sky so I can see traps."

Without a word, Team Seven ran off after Idate. And then they started screaming.

Hanara hurriedly flew to where they were running.

"You idiot! You were supposed to turn right! Not left!" Naruto yelled.

"Dobe, he wasn't supposed to turn at all!" Sasuke said.

Hanara scanned the area from above using her Kekkei Genkai.

"Actually," she told them, "He's taking a shortcut. Let's follow."

Their eyes widened and then they followed.

* * *

Hanara and the rest of her squad continued to chase after Idate, except now Team Seven was jumping on trees, while Hanara still was flying in the air. Soon, Idate was in a normal human's sight.

"Hey, Idate!" Naruto yelled, "The ocean's the other way!"

Hanara facepalmed, _'He doesn't listen to me at all!'_

"You can forget about it! I'm not turning around!" Idate called back.

"Uzumaki! What about _shortcut_ do you not get?" Hanara yelled.

"There isn't a shortcut! It wasn't on the map!" Naruto screamed at her.

"Of course it isn't on the map!" Sakura screamed, "Otherwise it wouldn't be much of an ace!"

Hanara sighed, _'This is Naruto we're talking about. He won't get it until Idate says it.'_

Finally, all four of them caught up with Idate.

_'This sucks. I can't go full speed because of them.'_

"Hey! Wait up, will ya?" Naruto called, still running, "I know you want to win and all, but how will you if you go the wrong way?"

Hanara and Sakura facepalmed. Even Sasuke looked disappointed.

_'I really want to punch Naruto...'_

"NARUTO! HANARA TOLD YOU IT WAS A SHORTCUT TWICE!" Sakura screamed.

"Will you just shut up?" Idate growled, "I need to run and you guys aren't helping."

"What's with the attitude, pal?" Naruto asked.

"Shut up!"

"Watch out!" Sakura screamed suddenly.

Hanara focused and found the foreign chakra surrounding them. 

_'Genjutsu.'_

"Release!" Hanara and Idate said in sync.

_'How can Team 7 not see it? Two signs that Idate's got ninja training!'_

"No! Don't go that way!" Sakura screamed.

Hanara scanned her surroundings and her eyes widened, "Release!"

_'Double Genjutsu? That's seriously hard to pull off! We're up against some really skilled ninjas.'_

"Sakura? What the heck is going on?" Naruto asked.

"We'll explain later!" Hanara yelled, creating some chakra threads, "Don't run after him, Sakura, I got this."

Idate fell off the edge of the cliff just as Hanara connected her chakra threads to him. She hurriedly pulled him onto the cliff beside Naruto, then got off her fan, and put it away.

_'He's heavier than I thought he would be.'_

"Man, I'm glad you learned those, Hanara," Sakura sighed.

"Yeah. The Sand's got some useful techniques." she nodded.

"Someone set up one Genjutsu on top of another." Sasuke muttered, "That's not easy to pull off."

"Our competition is skilled," Hanara agreed.

Beside them, Naruto glared at Idate, "You're not going to even thank us? You could've died!"

"Look, I didn't need your help, okay?" Idate snarled.

_'Maybe not the best idea to leave him beside Naruto. We're wasting time like this! If we stop, it should be to make a game plan. All we know is that our enemy uses senbon and Genjutsu. Two very subtle things. I'm guessing that they suck at frontal attacks and prefer to spring traps. Well, from what I can tell, it's the opposite for this team, but we don't know what their rank is, what village they come from, or how many of them they have. They have the advantage, but once they engage us, it'll be easy for us to turn it on them... as long as they don't use Genjutsu on Naruto or Idate.'_

Hanara turned to her team and Idate, only to see them in the middle of a fight.

_'I can't leave 'em alone for one second!'_

"Everyone, continue running, we're wasting time. From what I can tell, these ninja prefer to spring traps rather than confronting us outright, so stay alert. Naruto, for the last time, Idate is using a shortcut, let him be." Hanara said, "We need to hurry!"

Idate and Naruto glared at Hanara but complied. Hanara smiled, deactivated her Byakugan, and started to walk beside them. She can't be wasting too much chakra.

_'At least they listen to me. Although, with Naruto, it's only after logic smacks him in the face three times.'_

* * *

Soon, they make it to the port.

"I smell salt on the wind," Naruto said, inhaling.

"It's the ocean," Hanara informed him, remembering this port from the map.

"What's that out across the water?" Sakura asked.

"The halfway point," Idate answered, "Modoroki Shrine, over on Nagi Island. We can probably get there in an hour or so. One sec."

Idate ran over to the tiny hut on the edge of the forest, exchanged some words with the old man that answered, and got them a boat. Everyone got on the boat and Sasuke and started to steer after Hanara and Idate set up the sails.

* * *

A little while later, they were completely surrounded by blue. Idate stood at the front of the boat while the four ninja worked the ship. 

"Pst, Naruto, Hanara. What do you think?" Sakura whispered to Naruto and Hanara.

"About what?" Hanara asked.

"About Idate," Sakura said, looking at said boy.

"I mean, he's not an ordinary guy." Sakura started, "His speed is extraordinary. He probably received some training from a shinobi village."

_'Huh. I guess she wasn't top kunoichi for nothing. At least someone here is using their head. Still, I feel bad for the guy. Obviously, something horrible must have happened that made him leave the village. His brother is Ibiki Morino, an extremely_ **_loyal_ ** _Leaf shinobi. Idate's loyalty to Jirocho is unwavering and Jirocho is something like a Hokage for this village. Idate was likely once as loyal to the Leaf. No one defects without a reason. His hatred of ninjas is proof that something happened.'_

Naruto broke the silence once he realized that Sakura wasn't joking.

"Get real! There's no way that blockhead is a ninja!" he laughed.

Sakura growled, "Like you have room to talk! Last time I checked, you were the reigning king of stupid, Naruto!"

"Well, yeah, but come on! I did make it to the final round of the Chunin Exams! That has to count for something!" Naruto said, "If it weren't for Orochimaru, I would have won the tournament and gotten a promotion!"

Hanara sighed, "For you to become Chunin, you have to smarten up a bit. Look, there's a reason Shikamaru and I were the only ones promoted. Every round counts. It's not about beating your opponents, it's about showing your thinking skills along with your fighting skills. You need to prove that you're good enough physically and mentally, like that motto on the second exam said." 

Idate snorted, "If that blond made it all the way through, your proctors must have been real pushovers. Sounds like the Chunin Exams have lowered their standards."

_'Something happened to him then? It would make sense.'_

Idate covered his mouth in shock.

_'Even more likely.'_

Sasuke joined the conversation, "I remember now. Idate _Morino._ "

"Took you long enough," Hanara said.

Sakura growled, "You knew from the start, didn't you"

"Well, of course I did." Hanara laughed, "I mean, it was obvious. Ibiki Morino was our proctor for the first exams and Ino knows him because her father the head of the Analysis Department of the T&I, which Ibiki is the head of."

"I-Ibiki Morino?" Idate asked, "My brother's alive?"

_'I covered for you, dumbass!'_

"Yes, he's alive, Idate." Hanara sighed, "Although now he has some scars and burns."

Idate flinched.

_'So Ibiki must have gotten them around Idate. Maybe when he defected?'_

"He threw us such a curveball," Naruto laughed, "That tenth question."

"Seriously?" Idate asked, disbelievingly, "He's alive?"

"One would think you'd be happy," Hanara grumbled.

She heard something coming at them and pushed Idate out of the way, turning on her Byakugan without hand-seals.

_'Shouldn't have lowered my guard.'_

"Now what?" Naruto groaned.

"Ambush," Sasuke growled.


	47. Ambush

** Last time: **

_"Now what?" Naruto groaned._

_"Ambush," Sasuke growled._

* * *

** Now: **

"Three people. Rain ninjas, like I thought. They seem to be either high-Genin level or low-Chunin. Nothing we can't take." Hanara informed them, "Sakura. You have good chakra control, right? If worst comes to worst, and I can't do it, take Idate and run him to safety. Only if I can't. I have a Water Affinity and you work better with Sasuke and Naruto."

"Right!" Sakura nodded.

"Sasuke and Naruto. Fend them off. From what I've seen, they suck at hand to hand combat. You guys are best at that." Hanara told them.

"Got it!" Naruto nodded.

"Hn."

Arrows started raining down on them and Hanara jumped in front of Idate.

"Rotation!"

Her technique made sure that Idate comes out unharmed. Once the arrows stop coming at them, Hanara whipped her fan out and enlarged it. The enemy's boat shot more arrows, but this time they had a rope attached.

Her eyes widened, "Naruto! Use a kunai and cut through those ropes! Sasuke, cover him!"

They both nodded and got to work. Naruto cut through them easily.

Naruto smirked as they sailed away, "That was a piece of cake!"

"Don't lower your guard," Hanara warned, "They've made some clones."

"Only the real one can attack us," Naruto scoffed.

"The real one's with them," Sasuke said.

"Just tell us where," Sakura commanded, holding up a kunai.

"You better stay close," Hanara told Idate.

"No way!" Idate growled, "Why would I want help from a _Leaf_ ninja?"

"Because some _Rain_ ninja are coming after you," Hanara growled.

_'From what I read, Idate was helping some Leaf ninja defect to the Rain before he ran off. Maybe that will knock some sense into him?'_

"Beggars can't be choosers, pal!" Naruto yelled, right before a clone attacked him.

"Naruto!" Sakura screamed.

"WIND SCYTHE JUTSU!" Hanara yelled, summoning a gust of wind to blow away an army of clones that came right at them.

It seemed like luck was on their side because after that all the clones disappeared.

_'Looks like I blew the real one away.'_

"Nice work," Sakura smiled.

Sadly, the Rain ninjas weren't done. It started raining a black liquid.

Sasuke immediately weaved a hand sign for a Fire-Style Jutsu no doubt. It was all he knew.

Hanara's eyes widened, "SHIT! IT'S OIL!"

There was a lit arrow that was coming at them, and on instinct, Hanara tried to blow it away with a wave of her fan. However, her wind only fanned the flames.

_'I knew I should have learned Raging Waves!'_

Hanara whipped her fan underneath her and flew to get a better view of the ship.

_Tiger_

"Water Style: Liquid Bullets!" Hanara called out, spitting water at the burning ship, hoping that it would be enough.

It wasn't. The ship caught on fire and didn't seem like it was going to stop.

Sighing, Hanara got off her fan, put it away, and stood on the water beside the ship.

"You guys swim or run if you can." Hanara told them, "Just get off the ship and cover us after I go. Idate, get on my back. I'll run as quickly as I can and get us on shore."

Team Seven nodded and waited for Idate to go, but he didn't move. She stared at Idate, who glared fiercely back.

"Well?" Hanara asked impatiently, "Are you going to hop on?"

"What, do you think I'm stupid?" he yelled, "You're probably going to drop me the first chance you get and fly off! Then the rest of them will use me as a decoy and get away!"

"Stop spewing out nonsense!" Naruto screamed, "Look, I admit I don't like you, but that doesn't mean I want you dead! Just get on Hanara's back before we all turn to ashes!"

Idate growled, "Forget it! I'm not trusting ninja!"

Sasuke, who was fighting off the burning arrows that were being fired at the ship as well as some clones, managed to speak, "Just get out of our way."

Idate just stared at the ocean like it was the most terrifying thing in existence.

"Look, you're not going to swim in it, I'm just going to run across it. You'll be fine." Hanara said softly.

"There's no way we'd use you as a decoy," Sakura nodded.

"No, there's no way." Idate shook his head, walking back to the middle of the ship.

A few more clones start to crawl out of the water, but Hanara forces them to dispel with a focused burst of Wind-Natured Chakra from all her chakra points.

"You've got to trust us, Idate," Hanara said, "We're here to protect you."

Out of the corner of her vision, Hanara saw a kunai heading straight for Idate and Body-Flickered right in front of him, preparing to rotate. What she didn't expect was Sakura to be in front of her, already impaled by the projectile.

"Sakura!" Hanara gasped, "Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine," she smiled, although it looked forced, "Just go!"

The Hyuga nodded, "Get on my back, Idate."

Idate complied, looking shocked at Sakura's willingness to take a kunai for him. Hanara jumped off the ship and ran on the ocean, hoping that Team 7 would handle the fire.

* * *

After a long run on the ocean, Hanara finally found shore and climbed onto a rock.

 _'Boy am I glad that I did all that extra stamina stuff during individual training.'_ she thought as Idate hastily got off her back.

However, just because her goal was reached, didn't mean that Hanara lowered her guard. She had spotted a man trailing her from above and whipped out her fan, forcing it to grow so that she was prepared for battle.

Before Idate could say anything, the ninja above revealed himself by setting a shower of senbon on them.

Hanara swung her fan, blowing all of them away.

"Tch," a man with blue hair scoffed, floating down with his umbrella "You sensed me and countered. You're worthy of my deadly poison after all." he turned to Idate, "Hello, Idate. Long time no see."

"You- You're the one who-" Idate stammered.

_'Blue hair... Hidden Rain headband... He's a Leaf defector, too! I've seen him in Asuma-Sensei's book!'_

"Aoi Rokusho," Hanara said calmly, "Former Leaf ninja, ranked Chunin in the Leaf and Jonin in the Rain. You stole the Sword of the Thunder God and attempted to steal the Forbidden Scroll with Idate Morino. B-Rank threat and currently a Hidden Rain ninja."

Idate stared at Hanara in shock.

The Rain ninja chuckled, "Really, Idate. How many times do I need to teach you that you can't trust anyone? Such a fool you are."

Aoi took out his umbrella and used it to set another shower of senbon at them.

Hanara smirked and waved her fan, effortlessly moving the senbon away before they could hit either of their intended targets.

"Stand aside, silly girl," Aoi growled, "This is a matter between a sensei and his student, although I expected him to run. It wouldn't be the first time."

"Don't start!" Idate snarled, "That was your fault."

"I'm afraid I can't," Hanara smiled, "WIND SCYTHE JUTSU!"

A mini-tornado was summoned and it cut into Aoi and his umbrella. She doubted he would ever fly with it again.

Once the wind calmed down, Aoi walked towards them, covered in deep cuts, "Now, now. You're just like me, Idate. You've never trusted anybody in your life and you've never thought of someone other than yourself. You abandoned your village, betrayed your brother, all for yourself. It's all about you. You don't care about what happens to anyone else. Now, do you think a person like that should live? Really, killing you would rid the world of a disgusting creature. Everyone would be grateful."

Hanara glared at Aoi, _'I hate these kinds of people the most. They just tear people down with their mind-games. It's obvious with just this scene that Idate was tricked.'_

"Oh, stop spouting your stupid little lies and die in a hole, why don't you?" Hanara said, raising her fan again, "WIND SCYTHE JUTSU!"

Once more, a mini-tornado was summoned, giving Aoi more cuts. It died down and it seemed like the Rain ninja had learnt his lesson because he tried to engage Hanara in hand-to-hand combat. 

Aoi ran at her with a kunai that was probably poisoned in his hand. Hanara dropped her fan and engaged, immediately taking the kunai out of his hand, sticking a finger in the handle's hole and pushing down. She threw it away and smirked.

_'Stupid. Who willingly fights a Hyuga in a taijutsu match? Kunai or not, that's insane!'_

"You're now in my field of divination. Gentle Fist Art: 8 Trigrams, 64 Palms!"

Then, Hanara went at Aoi, not giving him a break between her sixty-four strikes. Hanara's last strike sent Aoi flying to the ground as he gasped for breath.

Hanara put a hand on her hip, "And that's why they say to not engage a Hyuga with taijutsu."

Internally though, Hanara was almost panicking, _'I've used so much chakra that I only have a third left. My jutsus are going to be a lot less effective and Rotative Blades will completely knock me out if I use too many Wind Scythes. I need a food pill, stat.'_

"Hanara! Are you okay?" Sakura asked, running up to her and Idate, Naruto and Sasuke not too far behind.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Hanara nodded, forcing a smile.

_'THE SWORD OF THE FLYING THUNDER GOD! IT MIGHT BE ON HIM!'_

Hanara's eyes widened and searched Aoi's body with her Byakugan.

_'There! I see it! It's in his ninja toolbox... that's really not safe. Whatever.'_

She hurriedly opened his toolbox and smiled. The Sword of The Flying Thunder God was right there looking completely innocent. She deactivated her Byakugan.

"What's that?" Naruto asked excitedly.

"The Sword of the Flying Thunder God!" Hanara exclaimed, "It's been missing for years! This man over here was a Leaf Village Chunin that stole it and tried to steal the Forbidden Scroll, too! He took it and defected to the Hidden Rain Village and got a Jonin promotion. We need to get it to Lady Tsunade right away! Naruto, summon that tiny toad that isn't food obsessed."

"Gamakichi?" Naruto questioned.

"The orange and purple one," Hanara responded.

"But can't you summon-"

Hanara cut Naruto off, "I've been using my Byakugan all day, used two C-rank jutsus multiple times, ran on water for over an hour straight, and used my 8 Trigrams 64 Palms. If I use the Summoning Jutsu, I'll be in the hospital just like last time."

"Oh..." Naruto's eyes widened, probably remembering that not everyone has his reserves.

Naruto bit his thumb and completed the necessary hand signs, "Summoning Jutsu!"

"Hey, Boss!" Gamakichi smiled, "What can I do for you?"

As Naruto and Gamakichi chatted, Hanara pulled out a scroll and summarized what happened (minus the fact that Idate was their client). Sasuke and Sakura were tending to Idate, who wasn't majorly hurt but shaken up quite a bit.

Once Hanara finished writing her note, she interrupted Naruto and the toad's argument.

"You're Gamakichi, right? Can you pop by the Hokage's office and give this to Lady Tsunade?" she asked, laying the scroll and the Sword of the Flying Thunder God in front of him.

"I'm not a messenger frog! What do yo- is that the Sword of the Flying Thunder God?" Gamakichi asked, his eyes as big as saucers, "I'll take it to Lady Tsunade for sure!"

With that, the toad popped the scroll and sword in his mouth and left with a puff of smoke.

"Thanks, Naruto," Hanara smiled.

He shrugged, "Now let's get back to the race!" 

Hanara and Naruto walked to where Idate, Sakura, and Sasuke were sitting.

"There's something I need to tell you," Idate said.


	48. The Truth Comes Out

Hanara sighed, _'So all of that lying was for nothing. Oh well. I can just pretend that was all I knew.'_

"Go on then," Hanara said to Idate.

Idate took in a shaky breath and started, "That man, Aoi Rokusho, was my sensei at the Academy."

"You're from the Leaf Village?" Sakura exclaimed.

Ignoring the interruption, he continued, "After he left the Leaf Village, he became a Jonin in the Village Hidden in the Rain. Hanara told you that but what she didn't say is that I was involved." Idate sighed, "I took part in the Chunin Exams a few years ago and it... hit me hard when I didn't pass the first exam, especially since my brother was the proctor. That tenth question really messed it all up for me. My old Academy sensei, Aoi, he told me a way to get a promotion without passing the exams. If I stole the Sword of the Flying Thunder God, the Forbidden Scroll, and gave it to him, I would get a promotion. It was a stupid trap and I fell for it. Once I gave it to him, Aoi gave away his plan. It was too late. My brother came and tried to get both of them away from Aoi but he set the cabin we were in on fire. before Big Brother could get the sword. Aoi made a run for it and I escaped but I thought Ibiki was dead. Just look at me!" Idate exclaimed angrily, "I was a coward then and I am one now! I couldn't do anything and now the Wagarashi are ahead of us! All that work and training for nothing!"

"Hey! Sounds to me that you're giving up early!" Naruto exclaimed, "I didn't get some of what you said, but that's no way for a Leaf ninja to talk!"

Idate looked at the ground, "You've got the wrong guy. I haven't even thought of the Leaf since I walked away from it all those years ago."

 _'To be betrayed by someone that you were meant to trust... I understand that all too well,'_ Hanara thought, clenching her fists, _'Most of this squad can, too. Sasuke and his brother... Naruto and the village... Naruto might not understand, but the Leaf Village is known for its teamwork, even among the villagers. It's meant to be a place where everyone trusts and takes care of one another. The Village Hidden in the Eddies were allied with the Hidden Leaf. Uzumaki were meant to be welcome in here at all times, especially since Mito Uzumaki was the wife of the First Hokage. We've betrayed Naruto's entire family in the worst way. Sakura's blessed in ways she doesn't know.'_

"Even so," Idate said closing his eyes, "Even though Boss Jirocho knew I was no good, he trusted me. He truly believed I could win this race. He put his faith in me and look! I'm being haunted by memories that I thought were behind me! I needed someone to defend me against Aoi, again! I really am worthless! I can't do anything right! Aoi said it and it's true! I would be better off dead!"

* * *

**~Flashback~**

Hizashi had just been burnt and it left Hanara and Neji in a depressed state (the clan burnt its members to protect the Byakugan although Branch Members had the seal).

 _'I knew and I didn't do anything! What type of niece, let alone daughter, am I? It shouldn't matter if I wasn't sure or if I couldn't pull up all the details! I had a hunch, the signs were all there, and I left Father to die! Now I'm lying to everyone about my identity! I know bits and pieces of the future and I'm not telling anyone! There's going to be a huge war with dead people revived and I'm not telling anyone! Some people out there could be hunting tailed beasts_ ** _and I'm not telling anyone!_** _What type of citizen am I to not be informing the Hokage about a massive threat? I'm so freaking selfish! Millions of people could die and I'm over here saving my own skin because I'm afraid I'm going to be experimented on or something! I don't know what Kamatayan was on about! I'm no one special. I'm too selfish to be a good person! It would have been better to revive someone that actually knew more and would try to stop this stupid shit like Sharon would if she were here! I'm literally killing a bunch of innocents by not telling anyone but I'm still so afraid and care about how it's going to affect me. I'm a horrible person! I can't do anything because I'm too freaking scared!_ ** _I would be better off dead like I was meant to be!_** '

**~Flashback End~**

* * *

Hanara sucked in a deep breath, _'Don't go back to then, Hanara, it's just going to give you unnecessary pain. You're on a mission, you can reflect on horrible life decisions and indirectly murdering people later. Or better yet, push those feelings to a deep dark corner to never see the light of day again, like they're meant to be.'_

"Stop it, you idiot!" Naruto yelled, "You said it yourself! There's one person that believes in you, right? Stop crying like that and make Boss Jirocho proud, then! Trust me, one person is all you need! Who said the race is over? You won't know until you try! If you're just going to mope around like this, the race really will be! So get going, pal!"

"The other runner must have already reached Modoroki," Idate sighed.

Naruto grabbed Idate by his collar, "You're not giving up, understand?"

Sakura tried to get Naruto to let go of Idate, but Sasuke stopped her.

"No! Stop it, Naruto! Tell him, Sasuke! He's being too rough! Stop him, Hanara!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Stay back. Leave them," Sasuke commanded.

Sakura turned to Hanara.

Hanara bit her lip and nodded, making Sakura stop, _'Naruto's helping Idate. He's making him let go of his grief. They're just naive kids, things are so black and white for people then. I wish a few words like what Naruto's telling Idate would work on me.'_

"Jirocho's counting on you, don't disappoint him!" Naruto said, "Pull yourself together! You have a race to run, don't you?"

Idate nodded shakily and Naruto moved to run.

"Let's go!" Naruto declared.

"Uh, hold on," Hanara said, smiling hesitantly, "Before we try and win this thing, does anyone have a food pill? I won't survive another half running this without extra chakra."

Sakura nodded and handed one to her, "Lady Tsunade gave me some."

Hanara ate the pill and turned to Idate, " _Now_ let's go!"

* * *

After that, it was all smooth sailing. Idate made it to the Great Todoroki Shrine hours before that Wagarashi guy did, making it a clear win. The Wagarashi were all fuming at the intervention and tried to say that since Hanara carried Idate over the ocean he was disqualified. But, in the beginning, the announcer said that there were no rules and Jirocho told the Wagarashi head exactly that smugly also accusing the Wagarashi head of taking bribes. It was two old men acting like passive-aggressive middle school girls in Hanara's mind.

Three days later, the boat Lady Tsunade had sent for Hanara, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura arrived. Currently, the four of them were standing in front of the boat. Or well, the Genin were standing. Hanara was suffering from a food pill crash and was on Naruto's back. She was conscious but weak.

"I want to thank you for your help, Naruto," Idate said, shaking Naruto's hand.

_'Hey! What are the rest of us? Chopped liver? I did the majority of the fighting, you know!'_

"Yeah, well, it was my pleasure," Naruto said bashfully.

Hanara let out a small smile, _'He deserves it. Idate wouldn't have had the courage to continue without Naruto. Now Idate can finally let go of his burden. No one deserves a betrayal haunting over them...'_

"Anyone in need of medical treatment?" a man in a black trench coat with a stretcher asked.

_'Ibiki!'_

"Food pill crash, Ibiki-sensei," Hanara said weakly from on Naruto's back.

"Big Brother," Idate gasped.

Ignoring him, Ibiki turned to Naruto, "Come on, let's get her on the boat."

"Oh, okay," Naruto nodded, being surprisingly gentle when laying Hanara on the stretcher.

Some people on the boat push her onto it and Ibiki followed.

"Big Brother! Big Brother!" Idate called.

Ibiki stared at Idate for a moment and replied, "There was only one person who called me that and he died three years ago."

Hanara blinked confusedly as she was pushed away into her room.

 _'Oh yeah! Asuma-Sensei did say that his book was to be updated next year...'_ Hanara thought a few minutes after they sailed away.


	49. Team Bonds

Team 10 was eating at Yakiniku Q to celebrate Shikamaru and Hanara's promotion to Chunin.

"Who would have thought that the lazy one would make Chunin first," Ino sighed, swallowing her BBQ pork, "I mean with Hanara, it was obvious. You don't see a Genin walking around with two elemental affinities every day. Shikamaru on the other hand... that was a surprise."

Shikamaru sighed, "Have some faith."

"I was surprised that anyone got promoted with the invasion," Hanara said, moving to pick up the last piece.

Choji growled and knocked away Hanara's chopsticks, "I will not allow anyone to have that piece. The last mouthful must be savoured in a way that no one but I am capable of."

Hanara shook her head and smiled to herself, _'I completely forgot about Choji's last bite obsession.'_

"Choji! Seriously, stop trying to act so cool! You're just being weird! And savouring the last bite? You just shove everything down your throat." Ino yelled.

"Ino, it's fine," Hanara said, putting a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down, "We can order some more anyway. It's on Asuma-sensei after all."

Asuma groaned, "Why do I agree to this every time?"

"'Cuz you love us!" Hanara responded, shooting him an 'innocent' smile.

"I can't argue with that. There's the lazy dude, the glutton, the feisty one, and the overly mature one. Who couldn't love you?" he said fondly before turning serious, "But really, Choji, Ino's right. You need to try dieting or training. All you do is eat. Shikamaru, now that you're a Chunin, you have to start working. You're going to be leading missions and if you slack off your comrades could die. Ino, you need to stop letting your temper take control! That makes it easier for your enemy to read you! And Hanara, when you're leading a mission, you have to listen to other people's ideas! Both times you were sent to work with Naruto, you didn't listen to what he or his team had to say!"

Hanara winced. It was true, all she did was think of a plan and make people listen.

"Here's your second order!" a waitress said, giving them their pork.

Hanara picked up a piece but dropped it on her shirt. She picked it up and saw a stain.

"Ughhh," she whined, "Ino, can you come with me to the washroom and help?"

"Yeah," Ino nodded.

* * *

Ino and Hanara come out of the washroom after fixing the stain on Hanara's top, finding Choji waiting outside for them.

"Mmm... that BBQ pork was amazing," Choji sighed.

"You're so lucky, Choji. You don't have to worry about what you eat. Let me tell you, dieting can be pretty tough." Ino told him.

_'You diet? I thought that you would know that training can be enough!'_

"Well, why are you on a diet, Ino?" Choji asked curiously.

"All girls diet for one important reason," Ino sighed wistfully, "To look as cute as we can for the boy we love!"

_'Um... I don't. I like my food and I burn off unnecessary calories while I train. I don't need to do anything else... right?'_

"But what if the guy you like isn't into super skinny girls?" Choji questioned.

Ino put a hand on her hip, "Hm... well in the first place, most guys aren't as fa- I mean, most of the boys I know like girls that look thin and the reverse is true as well. You should take better care of your body or you won't get any girls."

Ino started to walk away, "Coming Hanara?"

"Nah you go on," she told her.

Once Ino was out of earshot, she turned to Choji, "Don't listen to Ino, look at me! I don't diet and I'm not fat or skinny. I'm healthy! It's all based on your body type, anyway. As long as a medic doesn't say anything, you're fine, okay?"

Choji smiled, "Hanara..."

"I never dieted once in my life and I know for a fact that Hinata and most Hyuga girls don't, either. Our training schedule burns our calories off. If I need to diet for the guy I like, then the relationship we'd have would be doomed from the start. Besides, Choji, if my heart wasn't already taken, I would date you. You're one of the kindest guys I know." Hanara told him, "Don't listen to Ino, okay?"

"Heh, Ino has no clue," Shikamaru said, coming out of the men's washroom, "Despite what most girls seem to believe, men like women with a little meat on their bones. Someone like, uhhh, Hanara! She's a perfect example. She isn't skinny to the point where you can see her bones, but she isn't fat to the point where you can't see any defined bone lines either. It just looks healthier."

Hanara blushed even though she said the exact same thing earlier.

"Oh, and the reverse is true, too, ya know," Shikamaru said, looking in the direction Ino went, "I bet she would be a lot more popular if she put on a few more pounds. She should eat."

Shikamaru puffed out his cheeks as if they were stuffed with food.

Hanara and Choji laughed.

"You're one hilarious guy, Shikamaru," Choji commented, "And you're kind of a genius, too."

"Huh?" he said, taken aback.

Hanara smiled, "It's true. You're quite smart. Beating a Jonin over twice your age in Shogi is no easy feat, you know."

Choji nodded, "That's right. Even we can see that you're smarter than Sasuke or that Neji guy can ever dream of being."

_'True.'_

"Ah, well, I've never really thought about it like that," Shikamaru said, rubbing the back of his neck, "I'm just being me."

"That may be true but you're the only guy that made Chunin in the Chunin Exams this time around," Hanara said.

"But I'm not as good a fighter as you or Choji. If I were up against either of you I would have given up." Shikamaru told them.

"You heard sensei," Choji sighed, "He said that all I do is eat and that I should train more."

"Like I said, I'm just being me and you should keep being you." Shikamaru said, "It's stupid to talk about all the things we're not," he put a hand on Choji's shoulder, "Sensei says a lot of things, but don't take them too seriously. Just live your life, eat your food, and take things easy. Anyway, I have to go. My dad's been making me nervous about how he actually wants to teach me a new jutsu or something."

"Then go!" Hanara said, "Shadow Possession isn't gonna be enough soon."

Shikamaru sighed and left. 

"Anyway, I should probably go, too. Maybe do a small C-rank in the village for some extra ryo or something," Hanara told Choji.

"Wait," Choji stopped her, "Is what you said true? That you would date me if you didn't like Shikamaru?"

"Yeah! I tot- Hey! Who said I liked Shika?" Hanara asked.

"Well, you _were_ starting to act a bit weird around him. I only noticed because when you hung out with me you were less awkward. And well, you sort of confirmed it right now." Choji said sheepishly.

_'I'm way too obvious, I swear. Wait! Does that mean Shikamaru knows????'_

"Does, uh, Shikamaru know?" Hanara asked, pushing her pointer fingers together in a very Hinata-esque manner.

"If he does, I didn't tell him," Choji answered.

"Oh!" Hanara smiled brightly, her nervousness going away, "Thanks Choji."

Choji shrugged, "It's nice to see that not all girls go for guys like Sasuke and Neji."

"There'll be someone for you," Hanara said confidently.

"Yeah..."

* * *

**Sasuke Uchiha's Perspective:**

_'Two members of Squad 10 are Chunin now.'_ Sasuke thought as he waited for Kakashi to show up to their team meeting, _'If Shikamaru's anything like Hanara, he's strong. Kakashi hasn't taught me anything useful besides Chidori. Meanwhile, Hanara has at least 3 jutsu in her arsenal and her Gentle Fist to fall back on. She's just a Branch Hyuga member. They don't get any training! How is she so strong? She fought and beat that Hidden Rain Jonin like it was nothing! If I'm going to beat_ ** _that man_** _I have to get stronger! And then there's Naruto. He beat Gaara when he was fully transformed and I just sat down waiting for him to save me! He's the dead last, the resident idiot. He isn't stronger than me. I'll prove it!'_

"Idiot!" Sasuke called, standing up, "Fight me. Right now."

"Huh?" Naruto asked, looking shocked.

"You're always rambling on about how you wanted to fight me, so here's your chance. Unless you're going to chicken out," Sasuke smirked, baiting him.

"You're on!" Naruto growled, getting into his stance, "I'll finally beat you this time, you just wait."

Sakura, sensing that this was going to turn into more than just a spar, stood up.

"S-Sasuke, are you sure? Shouldn't we w-wait for K-Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked nervously.

"This is perfect," Naruto grinned, "Kakashi-sensei takes forever. I was just thinking about how I wanted to beat you to a pulp, anyway."

_'As if you could. I'm an Uchiha. In a minute you'll be the one with bruises.'_

"Tch," Sasuke scoffed, "Don't tell me you've got even dumber than you were before. You're such a loser."

"Well, I won't be a loser if I win today!" Naruto declared.

"An idiot like you has no business acting so high and mighty," Sasuke growled.

"Ha!" Naruto snorted, "What happened to the calm and controlled Sasuke? Don't tell me you're nervous!"

Sasuke smirked, "Let's just do this. Then you'll see that you're the one that should be nervous."

Naruto growled, "Why should I? We're equals."

"You don't honestly believe that, do you?" Sasuke asked disbelievingly.

_'Who does he think he is? He's the dead last! I'm the Rookie of the Year!'_

"Heck yeah, I do! All this time, I never once thought that I was inferior to you in any way." Naruto said.

_'I'll show him. He'll see once and for all that_ **_I'm_ ** _stronger.'_

"You're a complete embarrassment."

"Only because next to me you're embarrassed about how weak you are!"

_'I'll prove that I'm stronger than you!'_

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled, charging at him.

"Naruto!" Sasuke growled, running at Naruto with a fist ready.


	50. Getting Back Sasuke, Pt. 1

The Leaf had summoned Hanara for a solo B-rank mission to the Sand. It was fairly simple: give a scroll to the Kazekage’s Council. It was only B-ranked because of what was inside the scroll. Nothing had happened, and she was on the last day of her three-day travel back to the Leaf with Temari, Gaara, and Kankuro accompanying her because they were sent to help them with rebuilding. It was only fitting. They were the most crucial point of the invasion.

* * *

“It’s a messenger hawk from the Sand!” Temari said, pointing at the hawk that was heading straight for them.

Hanara grabbed the scroll from the hawk and stared at it confusedly. _‘I gave them what I had to. Do they need Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara?’_

“Lady Tsunade has a mission for us and the Sand Council agreed to send the three of you,” Hanara said urgently, her disbelief rising with every word she read, “At around 3 am this morning, Sasuke Uchiha left the Leaf to go to Orochimaru. Sakura Haruno witnessed his departure and attempted to stop him, but failed. Lady Tsunade sent Kiba Inuzuka, Naruto Uzumaki, Choji Akimichi, and Neji Hyuga with Shikamaru Nara as their Chunin leader at 7 am and wanted 3 Sand Genin and myself to provide backup. They left the village through the north gate and are heading towards The Valley of the End. She’ll be sending some medical ninja as backup.”

_‘Sasuke left the village? Was running into Itachi that traumatizing? He didn’t even do anything! ... or maybe that’s why? He’s upset that at the Leaf, he hasn’t gotten as strong as Itachi was at his age?’_

“So retrieving Sasuke Uchiha is our mission?” Kankuro asked.

“Yes,” Hanara nodded.

“Any additional information?” Temari asked.

“Orochimaru has valued kekkei genkai highly,” Hanara said, “In fact, I remember that Lady Hinata and I were warned to stay far away from him as children because of our Byakugan. He has most likely sent the very best to watch Sasuke because he is the last Sharingan wielder. They will probably have high ranked sound-based techniques and/or fatal kekkei genkais. My Byakugan’s range is about 50 meters so if you have any techniques that can allow you to track any further while moving you should use them.”

Temari and Kankuro stared at Gaara.

“My Third Eye technique does not give me x-ray vision and is disorientating for me to use while running,” Gaara rasped.

Hanara nodded and silently activated her Byakugan, “Let’s go!”

* * *

The first sign Hanara got that proved that they were going in the right direction was when she spotted Choji and another big dude with a Sound headband lying on the ground through her Byakugan.

“No. No, no, no, no. Choji, you didn’t...” she mumbled, eyes wide, “You know the risk...”

Because Choji was lying down and was thinner than she ever saw him. The only thing that could cause that were the Three Coloured Pills of the Akimichi clan.

“What happened?” Temari asked.

“They’ve split up and Choji used one of his clan’s secret techniques to kill his opponent. The only problem is... that technique is dangerous. If he used all of its stages, there’s a high chance that he’ll die. I- I don’t know any medical techniques...” she bit her lip, “I hope the medics have a Nara with them. It’s the only way he’ll survive.”

“Forget about that now.” Temari demanded, “Didn’t you Leaf ninjas get emotional training? Focus on the mission! You can still help everyone else.”

Hanara sighed and nodded, “Right.”

* * *

About half an hour later, Hanara spotted another battle zone with her Byakugan.

_‘A spider-like dude that’s fighting with chakra-made weapons. I can see why they left Neji to fight him, but it doesn’t seem to be going his way. Spider Dude is chucking spiders at Neji while Neji’s defending. This is why I told him to learn long-range jutsus, but no. 'Gentle Fist is enough,' he said. I better go help. The Sand Siblings won’t be able to move as quickly as we were before, but they won’t get lost. They should be fine.’_

“There’s a battle going on at about 30 meters west from here,” Hanara informed her teammates, “I’m the only one out of the four of us that can counter the opponents jutsu so I’ll be going there. I’m sure that the remaining three members of Shikamaru’s squad are travelling north towards the Land of Rice Paddies. Once I’m done handling this one, I’ll go after them and get them caught up with everything.”

“Right,” Kankuro nodded.

And with that, Hanara left her group.

* * *

As Hanara ran towards Neji, she watched as Spider Dude slowly got the advantage and figured out the Byakugan’s secret blind spot. Her speed increased as she watched Spider Dude’s chakra network activity skyrocket and spit out arrows aimed at Neji’s blind spot. Neji dodged it slightly, allowing the arrow to hit a less vital area, but with his low chakra levels, it didn’t seem like he could do it again.

_‘Come on, Hanara! You can make it in time!’_

She didn’t. She was seconds too late and watched in horror as a second arrow pierced through the bottom of Neji’s stomach area along with the chakra-made spider silk-like thread.

“H-Hanara?” Neji forced out.

“You don’t need to do anymore, Neji,” Hanara growled, putting a hand on the thread, “That Spider Man won’t know what hit him.”

 _‘Gentle Fist!’_ Hanara thought, sending a huge pulse of chakra through it, _‘That’ll have him right on death’s doorstep.’_

“H-Hana, I won’t make it,” Neji said between coughs, “F-Find Choji a-and t-tell Shikamaru, K-Kiba, and N-Naruto that I leave t-the rest of it to t-them.”

“No! Medical ninja are coming after us as we speak, you’ll still make it! You have to, Neji!” Hanara insisted, her voice cracking.

“Heh,” Spider Man scoffed as he held himself on a tree with his threads, “I knew that shot was meant to kill him.”

“You’re one to talk,” Hanara snarled, turning around, “I damaged nearly all your internal organs. I’m surprised your mouth can move. You’ll pay for what you did to my brother, you bastard.”

Hanara got into her Gentle Fist stance and ran straight at him, “8 Trigrams, 64 Palms!”

She attacked him faster than she thought possible and once she was done, Spider Man could barely move. Marks across his body slowly retreated into the three tomoes on his neck that looked similar to the ones Orochimaru had given Sasuke.

“I- I can’t channel any chakra,” Spider Man exclaimed, “It doesn’t matter what you do to me anyway, you just want Sasuke, don’t you? Well, you won’t get him. He’s Lord Orochimaru’s next vessel, and he’s gone to him willingly.”

“We’ll get him back,” Neji forced out, “There is someone t-that will b-bring him out of the darkness.”

“Didn’t you hear me? You won’t-“

“We will,” Hanara said firmly, “Because he brought my brother, someone that I thought hopeless, out of it, too. Sadly, I don’t trust that you’re not a threat yet, so...” Hanara trailed off and pulled back her right arm, and mercilessly struck him in the heart, killing him.

_‘He can’t hurt Neji any more, now.’_

Neji broke into a coughing fit, spitting out blood.

She turned to Neji worriedly, “Please, just hold on until the medics come. I- I don’t know what I’d do if you died, too.”

_‘I wish I knew medical ninjutsu or at least enough for first aid... I feel so helpless.’_

Neji forced a smile, “Hanara, go on. I’ll be fine.”

_‘Right. It’s like Temari said. I won’t be doing anyone any favours by sitting here and thinking worriedly about Neji and Choji. The least I can do is help do what they were hoping to achieve.’_

“I’ll go to Shikamaru and the others and try to help. The Sand Siblings are trying to join them.” Hanara told him.

 _‘Don’t die, Neji... Please, I just got the happy you back. I can’t lose you again,’_ she thought as she ran after the rest of his squad, determinedly ignoring the silent tears that were making its way down her cheeks.


	51. Getting Back Sasuke, Pt. 2

It was sunset, and Hanara had finally caught up to Shikamaru, Naruto, Kiba, and Akamaru. Seeing as Kiba and Akamaru had better noses than her eyes, she deactivated her Byakugan.

“-might wrap things up,” Shikamaru said.

“I’ll say! Two against three? No sweat!” Naruto cheered.

“What do you mean? It’s four against two!” Kiba said.

Akamaru barked in agreement.

“Sorry, Akamaru. Yeah, it’s four against two. I like those odds even better,” Shikamaru said.

“Actually,” Hanara interjected, smirking, “It’s _five_ against two.”

“Hanara?” Shikamaru questioned, “What are you doing here? Weren’t you on a mission in the Sand? Where are Choji and Neji?”

Hanara’s expression quickly became unreadable, “On the way back to the Leaf, the Sand Siblings and I got a hawk telling us about what went down. Choji took his pills, Shikamaru.”

“All of em?” he asked, eyes wide.

“I didn’t see a single one remaining when I took in his inventory,” Hanara sighed, “Medics are on their way though and with any luck, Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro should come soon.”

“What about Neji?” Naruto asked, “He’s got to be done with that creep by now!”

Hanara determinedly avoided eye-contact with the three of them, “I could watch most of the fight with my Byakugan. It was mostly evenly matched, but then Spider Man found the secret of the Byakugan.”

Kiba and Shikamaru took in a sharp breath.

“Well? What is it? What is it?” Naruto asked.

“There’s a blind spot,” she informed him shortly, “Things went downhill from there. Neji got completely skewered and I couldn’t do a thing about it because I was too far away. I killed Spider Dude before he could kill Neji, but... if he doesn’t get immediate medical help...”

_‘Don’t cry Hanara. Now’s not the time. Emotions, go in a deep hole right now.’_

“Medics were on their way, right? He’ll be fine.” Shikamaru said.

“Yeah,” Hanara said shakily, “He’ll be fine.”

“Don’t worry about a thing!” Naruto declared, “With my new jutsu, we’ll clear things up in no time! Then we can head back to the village.”

“Well, that’s lovely to know,” Kiba muttered.

“We’re working as a team here, right? Well, let’s just stick to the plan, then. The second one we worked on with Asuma-sensei, Hanara.” Shikamaru said.

_‘That **would** work best in this situation.’_

Hanara nodded.

* * *

“Hurry! We’re just ahead!” Kiba yelled about an hour after nightfall.

“Yeah! We’re gonna kick their asses and then take Sasuke back!” Naruto cheered.

“No,” Shikamaru disagreed, “You and I are going to stay right here and maintain distance.”

“What???” Naruto asked.

“Hanara and Kiba going into the dark won’t be a problem for them, but us going with them will lower their chances of getting Sasuke. Both of them are sensor and tracking types with enhanced senses that let them navigate the dark as easily as navigating during the day. We might attack them or at the very least, we’ll be hindrances. And, if things go badly, we’ll at least be able to get Sasuke in the morning.” Shikamaru explained, “Besides, you’re no good if you can’t see, Naruto.”

Naruto sighed, “I guess you have a point.”

“What?” Kiba asked, shocked.

“Yeah. Shikamaru’s our leader and he has a point,” Naruto nodded.

“I just hope this works,” Shikamaru muttered under his breath.

Hanara and Kiba were 5 metres away from the remaining two members of Orochimaru’s ninjas, while Shikamaru and Naruto were a good 30 metres behind them, maintaining their distance.

“Kiba, remember that our goal is to get the box with Sasuke in it, not to defeat those two. If I toss him to you, _leave,_ understand?” Hanara whispered to Kiba, right before the two of them were going to spring their trap.

“Hanara, I’m not going to just leave you!” Kiba whisper-shouted.

_‘I don’t enjoy pulling this card out.’_

“I am your superior officer and you _will_ listen to me, got it?” Hanara demanded.

“I won’t abandon you against two of them! You saw what they did to Choji and Neji!” Kiba insisted.

Akamaru barked in agreement.

“Well then, if I survive this and we fail, I’ll put in a report about your insubordination,” Hanara said, “Mission comes first. Besides the fact that Sasuke is a human being that affects our ninja, he also is the remaining member of the Uchiha clan with a Sharingan the Leaf can’t afford to lose. A lot’s at stake.”

Kiba growled but let it drop.

* * *

Hanara and Kiba threw a handful of shuriken at their enemies, revealing themselves.

“And now that we need them, Jirobo and Kidomaru aren’t here,” the red-haired female sighed.

“Well, it’s just us,” Kiba smirked.

A man with silver hair and two heads glared, “Who needs them? I can take these two punks no problem, Tayuya.”

He moves to charge at Kiba, but Hanara stopped him with her chakra threads. She created two more chakra threads with her left hand and yanked the box that held Sasuke away from the redhead.

“GO, KIBA!” Hanara yelled, tossing Sasuke into his arms and hurriedly using her left hand to keep her two opponents in place.

“B-But-“ he stuttered, catching the box.

“Hurry! I don’t know what that thing’s doing to Sasuke, but you have to get him to the village before it finishes its job!”

“I can’t just leave you against _two_ of them! You saw what happened when one of us went against one of them!” 

“I have an idea. _Go_ goddammit!”

Slowly, with an uncertain look on his face, Kiba left towards the Leaf Village.

_‘Okay, what is it I did to Spider Man? I channelled chakra through his spider thread things and it messed up his chakra system and organs. Chakra threads are made of chakra, so this should create the same effect.’_

Tayuya and the two-headed guy started making weird marks crawl across their faces that seemed to cause an abrupt change in their chakra system.

_‘Hurry! Gentle Fist!’_

Hanara sent a large pulse of chakra through both her hands, making it travel down all her threads. She sighed in relief when both of them slumped down and started coughing.

“Wh-What did you d-do to us?” Tayuya asked through coughs.

“Gentle Fist,” Hanara replied, sending more chakra through her threads.

With her Byakugan on, she saw how her chakra stopped all their organs from working and grimaced in disgust. Hanara tore her eyes away from Orochimaru’s two remaining henchmen but stopped when she noticed the man standing up after splitting in two.

“You killed Sakon!” he growled, “I’ll kill you!”

“Sand Coffin,” a voice from above Hanara rasped just before a flood of sand enveloped her opponent.

“Gaara,” Hanara sighed, “Have Temari and Kankuro joined Shikamaru, Kiba, and Naruto?”

“Yes,” Gaara nodded, “We should join them.”

* * *

They were halfway back to the Leaf Village when Kiba and Hanara gasped.

“Someone’s behind us,” Kiba murmured.

_‘His body’s weak. He shouldn’t be able to stand!’_

The seven of them turned around to see a white-haired man pulling out a bone from his back.

“No way!” Hanara exclaimed, “That’s a kekkei genkai from the Mist. The Kaguya clan has it.”

“Are the Mist supporting Orochimaru?” Kiba asked.

“I don’t see a headband,” Temari muttered.

“A rogue ninja,” Kankuro nodded.

“I’m afraid I must stop you,” the Kaguya said, interrupting them, “Orochimaru needs his vessel.”

“You won't take him! Not again!” Naruto declared, “We won’t let you!” 

“Arf!” Akamaru barked in agreement.

“We will see about that,” the Kaguya said, getting into his stance.


	52. Getting Back Sasuke, Pt. 3

“The Kaguya clan usually specializes in close-range combat so Hanara, Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara should take him,” Shikamaru blurted, “I, Kiba, and Naruto, will be a distraction.”

“Right!” everyone chorused.

Kankuro took out his puppet and quickly attached his chakra threads to it as Temari and Hanara pulled out their fans and Gaara unplugged his gourd. Hanara took to the skies and started using chakra threads to chase Kimimaro, who was also being attacked by poisoned senbon from Crow and sand from Gaara. The Kaguya was doing well in defending himself, especially since he was getting kunai and shadows thrown at him. However, he coughed and couldn’t evade Hanara’s chakra thread.

_‘It’s connected! Game over, Kimimaro.’_

Hanara held him still and Gaara released a shower of sand onto Kimimaro.

“Sand Coffin,” Gaara rasped, squeezing his hand shut.

And then Kimimaro was dead.

* * *

They hadn’t even been running for a full minute before Sasuke’s box let out purple smoke.

“What’s happening?” Kiba asked as Akamaru buried himself into Kiba’s sweater.

 _‘Byakugan!’_ Hanara thought, staring at the box, _‘It’s that weird mark! It’s enhanced Sasuke’s chakra levels and is affecting his mind a lot more... we’ve got to keep it shut or knock him out! I’ve gotta get Pho.’_

“We need to get that box to the Leaf right now!” Hanara exclaimed, “I’ll get Pho and fly myself and Sasuke back to the village. You guys come as fast as you can.”

Not waiting for a response, she bit her thumb and ran her fingers through the hand signs for the Summoning Jutsu.

“Summoning Jutsu!”

“Ah, Hanara,” Pho smiled, “What do you need?”

“Hi Pho. No time to chat. Please fly me and that box to the Hokage as fast as you can.” she responded, pointing at the box in Kiba’s hands, “Kiba, toss me it.”

Pho nodded and Hanara got on her back after catching the box Kiba threw at her.

* * *

Hanara flew into the open window of the Hokage’s Office, startling Tsunade and Shizune. Not minding their furious expressions, she tossed the box that contained Sasuke onto the middle of the office. 

“The curse mark,” she explained, “I think they did something that is enhancing it. It’s almost done, get him to a stable location. The mark might affect his mind.”

“Shizune! Get Ibiki and bring Sasuke to an empty hospital room.” Tsunade commanded.

“Yes, m’lady,” Shizune bowed, hastily exiting the room with the box in her hands and Tonton behind her.

“Hanara, where is the rest of your team?” Lady Tsunade asked.

“The Sand Siblings, Kiba, Shikamaru, and Naruto are all running back to the Leaf right now. Neji and Choji need immediate medical attention,” she informed Tsunade, determinedly not thinking about the last two people she mentioned.

“The medical ninja should have reached Neji and Choji,” Tsunade said, “I sent some of the fastest ones after them. You can stay here until they arrive.”

Hanara nodded, “Thank you, Lady Tsunade.”

* * *

Hanara and Shikamaru were currently sitting outside Choji’s hospital room with Temari across from them.

“It’s pointless to be so fidgety,” Temari commented, gesturing to Shikamaru’s hands, which were cracking his knuckles, “Sacrifices are an inevitable part of a mission. You both received emotional training, didn’t you?”

Hanara sighed, _‘This entire mission... it was stupid. If we could just kill Orochimaru, none of this would have ever happened. Instead of chasing after a Genin, we should have just sent a few ANBU after him. Now Choji and Neji... they’re on the verge of death. It isn’t war, children aren’t supposed to die. Children aren’t even supposed to go on freaking A -borderline S- ranked retrieval missions! I- I_ ** _hate_** _you, Orochimaru. You’re just causing so much trouble for the Leaf Village.You deserve the worst kind of death!’_

“Training is different from actual combat,” Shikamaru replied, “I knew what missions would comprise and I thought I understood what the shinobi world was like. This was the first time I was made team captain for a mission, and now I understand... I’m not cut out for this.” 

“You are unexpectedly boring,” Temari said bluntly, “even though you’re acting like a man.”

Hanara stared at Shikamaru in disbelief, “You’re quitting. After all that work, you’re quitting! What was the point of it all, then? The shinobi life takes a lot of things away- you knew that and worked for it, anyway. Now that Choji and Neji are hanging in the in-between, you decide you want to quit? If you weren’t there, things could have gone a whole lot worse. You’re willing to just leave the rest of us in someone else’s hands? You’re willing to just sit back and not help us at all? Tch,” she looked away, “I don’t know why I even expected more.”

_‘He’s quitting? That’s not like him at all! Not every single mission is gonna end up like this! They don’t even send Genin on these types of missions! Is that it? He’s gonna quit after one failure? If Neji and Choji do die... I would be in a state for a while. But that’s not a reason to throw away 12, nearly 13 whole years of the new life that I worked hard to build. Quitting isn’t an option after how far I’ve come, and it shouldn’t be for him either! I get it, I really do. Losing your best friend is hard. Even knowing that it could happen is hard. And I would know, I lost my entire world and all the things I worked so hard for. But I also know that all Choji wants for Shikamaru is for him to be happy and successful. Hell, that’s all Choji wants for any of his friends. If that’s really what he’s gonna do, then I don’t know how Shikamaru even came this far. To be a Chunin involves accepting failures and moving on. It’s our duty. Or maybe I’m just saying this because I can’t accept it until Tsunade tells me. Choji is just- everything about him screams alive. I can’t imagine him dead...’_

Shikamaru stood up, “I shouldn’t have been team captain, all I did was put my trust in everyone else. I was too naïve. I didn’t have enough strength,” he clenched his fists, “It’s all my fault.”

 _‘Then it’s equally mine, isn’t it? As a Chunin with more mission leading experience, I should’ve helped you,’_ Hanara thought.

Temari’s eyes narrowed, “Are you afraid of being hurt?”

He put his hands in his pockets and walked away.

_‘I guess you hit the nail right on its head, Temari.’_

As Shikamaru was about to turn a corner, his father stopped him.

“Shikamaru...” he sighed.

Shikamaru stopped walking.

“You’re being talked down to by two girls and now you’re running away?” he glared.

“It’s troublesome. I don’t want an argument,” Shikamaru said shortly, “I’m not a girl.”

_‘And I’m not the one thinking irrationally, despite the fact that I might lose two people that I consider family.’_

“Yeah, but you’re not a man either. You’re just a spineless coward,” the Nara Clan Head spat, “The Hyuga was right. Even if you quit being a shinobi, missions will still go on. Another Leaf shinobi will carry them out. Your friends will be assigned to a different leader. And then, they all might die. But, if you are their captain, things might not go that way. If you look at this time as a learning experience, you can grow from it and maybe carry out the rest of your missions perfectly. If your friends are important to you... then think before running away. Consider becoming greater for the sake of your friends! That’s what it means to be a genuine friend, you damn coward!”

Before Shikamaru could respond, the light outside of Choji’s room turned off with an audible click. Hanara turned to the door with mixed feelings, bracing herself for the worst.

Tsunade walked out of the room with a sigh.

_‘No... don’t tell me... I should have just taken Choji with me on Pho!’_

And then Tsunade smiled.

_‘Is he really?’_

“It’s all right now!” Tsunade said, grinning triumphantly.

Hanara jumped up from her seat, staring at Tsunade hopefully.

“The antidote I made neutralized the continuous cellular destructive effects of the pills,” she said, sitting down beside Hanara, “Thank you for your help, Shikaku. The medical manual of the Nara Clan was extremely useful.”

Hanara tuned out the rest of their conversation, _‘Choji’s okay? He’ll be okay!’_ she felt tears forming in her eyes, _‘N-Not the time, Hanara. You can cry when you can hug him, okay? Y-Yeah you-‘_

“LADY TSUNADE!” Shizune yelled, running up to them, “Neji Hyuga...”

_‘Is he okay, too? Is he?’_

“He’s in stable condition!” she exclaimed.

And then, Hanara couldn’t help herself. She ran up to Shizune and hugged her, sobbing into her shoulder.

“Th-Thank you so much, Shizune. You saved my brother’s life!”

Shizune stiffened for a moment before patting Hanara’s back comfortingly.

Through her tears, she could hear Tsunade talking to Shikamaru.

“Shikamaru, it seems like your mission was a success and everyone is alive. You truly deserved your promotion to Chunin.”


	53. Trouble at Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I don’t know the dates of everything that happened in the manga/anime so I’m sorta making up the timeline (date-wise, I mean). Kishimoto messed up a lot, I’m allowed to make up the dates.
> 
> AND... HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHIKAMARU!

A few days later, Hanara and Shikamaru were leaving Choji’s hospital room when the Nara started acting out of character.

“Uh, Hanara, I, uh, I- I need to tell you something...” he trailed off.

Hanara’s eyebrows furrowed for a moment before she shrugged, “Sure, why not?”

Shikamaru started walking toward his favourite cloud-watching spot and Hanara followed him curiously as they walked in a silence that only could be described as awkward. 

Finally, the two Chunin came to a stop and Shikamaru sat down, patting the grass to his left as an invitation for Hanara to sit beside him.

After a few seconds, Hanara spoke, “So? What’s got you so tense?”

“I t-think I have a cushonfoo,” Shikamaru said, mumbling the last part, looking determinedly at the grass, as if it had the answers to all the universe’s problems.

_‘Nope! It’s not what you think it is, Hana. Don’t get your hopes up. That’s just the recipe for heartbreak.’_

“Huh?” Hanara questioned, “You have cushion food? What the heck is that?”

“No...” Shikamaru sighed, “I think I like... someone.”

 _‘How’d that turn into cushion food? Ohhhh maybe he said a name before... like Fu! Or... Yu? Definitely not me though,’_ she thought sadly, _‘Why would he? I’m so snarky and pretty much ruin the point of having him on the team. He was meant to be the logical mind and instead they got me, too. And after what I told him a few days ago... there’s no way he’d like me.’_

“Will you tell them?” she asked.

“I don’t know if she likes me,” Shikamaru mumbled. Even telling her was taking a lot out of him.

“She’d be an idiot not to,” Hanara smiled reassuringly, pushing back her dark feelings. Shikamaru needed help, dammit, and she sure as hell wasn’t gonna let her feelings impede the support he needed.

“But she’s so perfect. She’s hardworking and accepting. She doesn’t nag me to do things when there’s time, but when she nags me, it isn’t in a troublesome way. She isn’t troublesome at all, and even if she was... she’d be worth the trouble,” Shikamaru said, “Sometimes, I think I don’t cooperate enough and that she thinks all I am is a lazy waste of space.”

Hanara’s face softened, and she placed her right hand under his chin, forcing it upwards so she could look him in the eyes, “Listen here, okay? You are not a waste of space. You are smart, brave, skilled, and most importantly, my best friend. Without you, who knows where Naruto would have gone? Who knows what Ino and Sakura would have gone through? Who knows how Kiba, Neji, Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, Choji, Neji, and I would have been? You are lazy, but you get your ass up when it counts. There’s no way you’re not good enough. In fact, if anything, she isn’t.”

Shikamaru stared at her, momentarily stunned.

“Look, if you really do like her, you need to tell her. Nothing’s gonna happen if no one does anything.”

 _‘Hypocrite,’_ a voice inside her scoffed.

“You can do it,” she smiled. And then, just in case she wasn’t getting through to him, she wrapped her arms around him in a warm, encouraging hug.

Shikamaru tensed for a moment, but then slowly hugged her back.

“Whoever this girl is, she’d be crazy not to like you back,” Hanara told him.

Then, she did something that shocked him as much as it did her.

She kissed him. On the cheek.

Face reddening with every passing second, she stared at Shikamaru and bit her lip.

“It’s you,” he blurted.

“H-Huh?” she stuttered.

“It’s you,” Shikamaru repeated, “I like you.”

“Oh...” she breathed, “I-I think I like you, too, ‘Maru...”

“You do?” he asked.

_‘He really is being uncertain, today. It makes sense, I suppose. The mission must have lowered his self-esteem. Combined with what usually is a situation that makes both parties vulnerable...’_

Hanara smiled and hugged him again, “Idiot. I already said I would be crazy not to.”

* * *

Hanara was practically radiating happiness as she skipped into Ino’s shop, which, luckily, was empty.

“What’s go you in such a good mood?” Ino asked her curiously.

“He said he liked me!” Hanara exclaimed happily.

“Shikamaru?”

Hanara nodded.

Ino clapped her hands together and squealed, “Finally! Details. Now. And get Choji.”

“You’re the one who pointed it out, aren’t you?” she asked suspiciously.

“Uhhh, well I told him I thought you liked Shikamaru but... that was when we were in the Academy! I didn’t get why someone would rather play shogi instead of doing... literally anything else unless they like the person they were playing with!” Ino explained.

“Ugh, whatever,” Hanara sighed, “It’s not like he won’t know now that Shikamaru’s telling him.”

“So he’s getting told? Okay, well then, _details_. Now.” Ino demanded, again.

Hanara sighed, “Can we not do this in the middle of a store?”

“Yeah,” Ino nodded and led her to a room reading ‘Employees Only’, “It’s not like people are gonna come now. It’s usually either in the morning, during lunch, or at around 8:00 pm. I’ll help them if a customer comes. Now _spill!_ “

“Yeah, yeah...” Hanara nodded, smiling fondly as she recounted what had happened a few hours previously, changing a bit of the detail to protect Shikamaru’s privacy as she went.

Once she was done, Ino squealed, “Awww he _can_ be sweet!”

_‘So I may have embellished a bit. Sue me.’_

“So, did he ask you out?” Ino asked eagerly.

“We’re only _twelve!_ “ Hanara exclaimed.

“Actually, Shikamaru is thirteen,” Ino informed her smugly.

“What? When was his birthday?” Hanara asked.

“September twenty-second,” Ino said, smiling.

“Wait... today’s December twenty-third! It’s been months! Why didn’t he say anything?” 

“Throwing a party would have been ‘troublesome’. I asked him about it! I hate not being able to throw a party,” Ino sulked.

“Wait, I don’t know yours or Choji’s either,” Hanara realized.

“Well, Choji’s was back in May, a month after we graduated. He was at home, I think, learning more about being clan head like we all were. Mine was September twenty-third. You were sick, so I couldn’t do anything. Huh. Now that I think about it, when is your birthday?”

“Four days from now,” Hanara responded off-handedly.

Ino grinned, “Well, now you’re having a party and I’m planning every single detail. We’re inviting our entire team and- ooh! I have gotthe most _stunning_ light purple dress for you to borrow! It should have a starry theme, and we could do it outside at night! Maybe in my backyard! So many ideas...”

“Uh, Ino...”

“No! I haven’t planned a party at all this year, I’m gonna go crazy!” 

Hanara just smiled, “Oh alright, do your thing.”

* * *

When Hanara went to her house, she found Neji drinking tea with _Hiashi_ of all people. She hurriedly put away her shoes and walked into the living room.

“Lord Hyuga, what are you doing here? Not that you aren’t welcome, of course,” Hanara said, bowing and shooting him a tight smile.

_‘That’s a load of bull. He will never be welcome in my home if I have anything to say about it. Sadly, he owns the area and doesn’t let anyone lower than a Jonin live outside the compound. But today’s been an amazing day and I won’t let him ruin it, so polite and formal it is.’_

“Ah, Hanara, we have been waiting. I have an offer regarding your training and housing arrangements that I feel you will like.” Hiashi said, “In fact, I was just speaking to Neji about it.”

“What is it?” she snapped.

_‘Okay, maybe the whole polite thing isn’t easy...’_

“I would like to train you both and you may live with me in the Main Family’s home,” Hiashi said.

Hanara internally growled, _‘Of course, once we prove how good we are, the Main Family wants to snatch us up. When we were born into an unpleasant situation, they didn’t give a damn, but now they do? Freaking bitches, the lot of em.’_

Neji, however, looked vaguely pleased.

“Thank you for the offer, Lord Hyuga,” Neji smiled, “May we have some time to think?”

“Of course,” Hiashi said, standing up, “I will take my leave. I do hope you accept.”

_‘Yes, thank you. Leave. I know my answer, but Neji can do whatever he wants to. It’s his life. If he can forgive, then that just proves he’s a better person.’_

Once Hiashi was gone, Neji turned to Hanara, who plopped into a chair beside him.

“What do you want to do?” he asked her.

“I’m saying no,” she said, not even bothering to think about it, “He wants to help us now that he thinks we’re worth something? Ha! I’m not helping him bring more ‘prestige’ to the clan after he abandoned me. You can do whatever you want, though. I won’t stop you.”

He relaxed, “It’s a wonderful opportunity. I can teach you some things like I did before...”

“You don’t have to,” Hanara told him.

“It’s not fair, you should have been able to learn all the Main Family’s techniques from the start,” Neji insisted, “I’ll teach you.”

Hanara hugged Neji, “Thank you. You’re the best big brother I could ask for!”

“You deserved it and you would have taught yourself anyway,” he pointed out, “I’m just preventing accidents.”

“True,” Hanara laughed as she released him.

“Consider it your birthday present,” Neji said. 

“Sure, sure,” she agreed.

Today was a happy day indeed.


	54. Academy Days

Hanara and the rest of the rookies were standing in front of Tsunade, who had summoned them all. 

“I have some news that I am afraid you won’t like,” Tsunade said gravely, “Sasuke Uchiha has been put under house arrest.”

Instantly, there was an uproar.

“WHAT?” Naruto yelled, “YOU CAN’T DO THAT, GRANNY!”

“Lady Tsunade!” Ino exclaimed, “Sasuke’s not a threat!”

“Sasuke isn’t a flight risk,” Sakura said, “That was Orochimaru’s fault!”

“SILENCE!” Tsunade boomed, banging a fist on her desk, causing it to crack, “Sasuke Uchiha has not passed his interrogation and is therefore put on house arrest. The details are only privy to his interrogators and a handful of Jonin, but he will not be allowed out of his house for at least a month.”

“B-But Sasuke would never be a threat to the village!” Sakura exclaimed.

_‘Truly, Orochimaru’s curse seal is something to fear.’_

“He has not passed his interrogation and will face the consequences,” Tsunade said, glaring.

“So, you’re telling me, we went through all of that just to get our friend stuck in his home?” Kiba asked.

“Yes.” Tsunade said shortly, “Better that than to have another potential threat to the village.”

Shikamaru, Shino, Hanara, and Hinata stayed silent, mulling over the new information.

“I-I don’t t-think S-Sasuke would be a t-threat to the v-village,” Hinata stuttered, “D-Did O-Orochimaru do s-something t-to him?”

“Only a handful of Jonin may have the details, but in a nutshell, yes.”

“Then it’s not his fault!” Naruto exclaimed, “Let him go!”

“Even if it was, the result is the same!” Tsunade exclaimed, “As of now, Sasuke Uchiha is a threat to this village!”

“But Granny-“

“You may all leave,” Tsunade interrupted, “Actually, Shikamaru and Hanara, stay.”

Once the other seven left, Tsunade spoke, “The Academy is severely understaffed as many of the teachers were injured while protecting their students. I ask any Chunin to help teach the students. So, I am asking you to teach class 3a until Iruka Umino is fit to teach. Do you accept?”

_‘Eh, why not? I want to be a Jonin instructor later and this is good practice.’_

“Okay,” Hanara said.

If Tsunade was fazed, she didn’t show it.

“And you, Shikamaru?”

“Troublesome...” he muttered, “I suppose I can...”

“Your first day will be tomorrow,” Tsunade informed them, “You can ask Umino for some pointers today.”

“Right!” Hanara nodded.

* * *

The next day found Hanara and Shikamaru setting up for their first class. They had worked on a lesson plan and were as prepared as they could be, considering their one-day notice.

_‘Oh, why did I think this would be a good idea, again? Twelve- and thirteen-year-olds teaching seven- and eight-year-olds?’_

“Well, hopefully, they like history,” Hanara sighed, moving the marked tests that Iruka gave them to another side of the table.

“Troublesome...” Shikamaru sighed, “They’re here.”

And in came a class of _twelve people?_

_‘Oh, right, they only join classes in the last year and the invasion...’_

Once everyone was seated, Hanara clapped her hands together and said, “Okay everyone, Iruka-sensei cannot teach you so Shikamaru and I will take his place for a few weeks. My name is Hanara Hyuga, but you can call me Hana-sensei. You can call him Shikamaru-sensei,” she said, writing the two names on the blackboard behind her, “We don’t know most of your names, so when Shikamaru reads out the attendance please stand up.”

“Yes, sensei!” the kids chorused.

“Aburame Haru,” Shikamaru drawled.

A bespectacled boy with a trench coat eerily similar to Shino’s stood up.

“Ando Akane.”

A girl with long brown hair stood as Haru sat down.

“Hyuga Hanabi.”

As Akane sat down, a brown-haired girl with the signature purple eyes of the Hyuga clan stood up.

_‘So that’s her, huh. Doesn’t look like much, but as a shinobi, I shouldn’t judge by appearances. She seems much more like Neji than Hinata...’_

“Inuzuka Kane.”

A boy with the Inuzuka clan markings on his cheek and a small puppy stood up as Hanabi stood up.

“Ise Udon.”

Udon stood up and shot Hanara a nervous smile, causing her to grin.

_‘He really is a nice boy.’_

“Iwasaki Fuji.”

A civilian boy with grey hair jumped up excitedly.

_‘Easily excitable.’_

“Kazamatsuri Moegi.”

“Hey, Hanara!” Moegi exclaimed.

“Hana-sensei, Moegi,” Hanara admonished lightly.

“Nara Yui.”

Everyone stared at the girl who had face-planted onto her desk the moment she sat down.

Hanara turned to Shikamaru, who didn’t seem like he was going to do anything about the girl, and sighed. She created a visible chakra thread on her right hand’s pointer finger and used it to lift the girl’s head.

“Nara Yui, is it?”

The girl let out a yawn and nodded.

“Please nap during recess,” Hanara said, exasperated, releasing her chakra thread.

Yui stopped her head from slamming into the desk and groaned. 

Hanara took that as a yes.

“Sarutobi Konohamaru.”

Konohamaru stood up and gave them a shaky grin. It seemed like he hadn’t gotten over his grandfather’s death, but was coping.

_‘At least he isn’t trashing Tsunade’s office anymore...’_

“Sugimoto Mori.”

A pale boy with dark black hair stood up.

_‘Snow... what was her name? Snow_ **_White_ ** _, right? Snow White but male form. Niiiice.’_

“Takahashi Amaya.”

A short, dirty blonde girl stood.

_‘Ooh, pretty name.’_

“Yamamoto Hiroto.”

A boy dressed in complete green (thankfully not spandex) stood up.

Shikamaru rolled up the scroll and turned to Hanara, “I’ll take this to the front office.”

She nodded and Shika left.

Hanara turned to her class, “Today, you’ll be learning about the Leaf’s founding.”

There were a few groans and Hanara saw Yui’s head slam back onto the table.

“Iruka-sensei hasn’t started you on the Warring States Period, correct?”

“Yes, sensei,” Hanabi said after it was clear no one was going to answer.

“Please take notes,” Hanara said, “Iruka-sensei will quiz you on this once he recovers.”

There was the sound of bags unzipping and papers rustling.

Once the children had their books out, she continued, “So, the Warring States Period was before the founding of the shinobi villages and the Five Great Nations. Back then, countries were extremely small, so leaders often hired a clan to fight each other leaders for more land. The constant fighting caused even more deaths than any of the shinobi wars combined, and all the people knew was war. An average lifespan of a member of a clan was only thirty years. Children younger than you were forced to fight for their clan, just like any other adult was. Older and stronger opponents often killed them. It was... horrible. Because of changing alliances and enemies, shinobi rarely revealed their clan names. One thing that always stayed the same, was the conflict between the Uchiha and Senju. Whenever someone hired the Uchiha, the other hired the Senju, because they saw those two as the strongest of them all. The constant competition caused both clans to hate each other with every fibre of their being. Even though the two clans hated each other, somehow, Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju formed a friendship strong enough to bring that horrible war-torn era to an end and founded our Leaf Village. They both wanted to bring the world peace and hoped that founding a village in which all clans came together would help that happen. As you know, there have been three wars since then, but the world is no longer constantly at war. Once the Hidden Leaf Village was founded, the other shinobi villages were formed. Soon after that, the Five Great Nations were formed. It was Madara and Hashirama’s bond that brought on the world that we know today.”

Moegi’s hand shot up, interrupting Hanara’s lecture.

“Yes, Moegi?”

“If they were such good friends, why did the First kill Madara at the Valley of the End?”

“After Lord Hashirama was named Hokage, Madara feared that he would start pushing away the Uchiha clan,” Shikamaru told her as he walked inside the classroom, “So, he tried to overthrow Lord Hashirama by gaining support. No Uchiha joined him, so Madara attempted to fight Lord First by himself at the Valley of the End. Their battle escalated, and Madara was killed.”

“What does ‘escalated’ mean?” Fuji asked.

“It means that the battle became more intense,” Hanara explained.

Another student raised their hand.

* * *

Almost eight hours later, Hanara and Shikamaru were walking in the streets of the Leaf, with their hands entwined, mentally exhausted after a day of teaching children.

“Man, that was exhausting,” Hanara sighed.

“I didn’t get to nap,” Shikamaru complained, “And Yui was doing it the whole time...”

“Now you know how Iruka-sensei must have felt,” Hanara laughed.

“This whole teaching thing is such a drag...”

“I think it’s fun,” Hanara smiled, “Although, I would prefer a Genin team much more. You get to help shape the next generation of ninja!”

“I would rather nap,” Shika grumbled.

Hanara laughed.

_‘Oh, Shika. You’re so lazy...’_

“Well, we have an entire month more of this, so get used to it.”

“Don’t remind me...”

“Oh, and Yoshino told me to remind you to pick up the groceries!”

“Ughhh, more work. Help me?”

“Sure. Now, come on, you lazy butt,” Hanara grinned, dragging Shikamaru towards the grocery store.

Hanara sure felt lighter now that both their feelings were out in the open.


	55. Sasuke Escapes

It had been around three weeks, and Hanara was finally getting the hang of this ‘teaching’ thing. The kids were nice, although Yui and Akane rarely payed attention. She honestly looked forward to going to school. Iruka-sensei was also a lot more understandable now.

Today started out like any other day. Hanara woke up, took a shower, ate breakfast, and went to school with some paper puppets of the five Hokage in hand. She was going to try something new today and act out the stories with them. Hopefully, Akane would focus. After spending so much time with Shikamaru, she knew Yui was a lost cause.  
As the students walked in the class, an alarm went off. The pattern indicated that anyone with a Chunin rank or higher was to report to the Hokage immediately.

“Everyone, review the notes you took yesterday,” Shikamaru said, dragging himself out of his chair.

“Uh... Haru! You’re in charge of the class!” Hanara exclaimed as she ran out of the room.

* * *

All the Chunin and Jonin in the village (basically, about forty people) assembled in front of Lady Tsunade.

“Sasuke Uchiha has got past his guard,” Tsunade informed them shortly, “He should still be in the village. I want you all to look for him.”

“Yes, Lady Hokage,” the Chunin and Jonin chorused.

“Go!”

They all left in different directions.

* * *

Hanara turned on her Byakugan.

_‘Now, if I were trying to sneak out of the village knowing that people were going to come after me soon, where would I go? Somewhere no one expects me to... Oh! The main gate! Under a Transformation maybe...? Let’s check there first.’_

Once the main gate was within Hanara’s range, she searched for Sasuke, but couldn’t find him anywhere.

_‘Maybe he wanted to get to the Rice Paddies quickly and went to the North Entrance instead...’_

She switched directions and found him a few minutes later.

_‘If he notices me, everything will get complicated. My best bet is chakra threads.’_

Hanara, who had been training with her threads a lot after the last Sasuke fiasco, wrapped her threads around him, although he was struggling against them.

“Hanara,” he growled, “Let me go.”

“I’m afraid I have to bring you back to Lady Hokage,” she said pleasantly. 

“Let me go!” he repeated, “I’m not going back! Not after they treated me like some kind of criminal.”

“Well, you acted like one, so we treated you like one. You’re going back whether you like it or not.”

Ignoring the rest of Sasuke’s protests, Hanara ran back to the Hokage’s Office.

_‘Huh, I should be a retrieval specialist, if that’s a thing. I’m good at this!’_

* * *

“Lady Hokage, here he is,” Hanara said, pulling Sasuke in front of her.

“You may release him, Hanara,” she told her.

Sasuke dashed towards the door, but an ANBU stopped him.

“Sasuke, we gave you a chance to redeem yourself, but it seems like I cannot redeem you,” Tsunade sighed, “We will put you in jail. Badger, arrest him.”

“Yes, Lady Tsunade.”

Badger tied up Sasuke’s arms and led him away- most likely to the Leaf Strict Correctional Facility.

“Thank you, Hanara. You may go back to your class.” Tsunade told her, smiling.

“Uh, Lady Tsunade... Shikamaru?”

“I will send him there shortly,” Tsunade informed her.

“Right. Thank you.”

* * *

Hanara ran down to her Academy classroom, finding it completely empty, save for Haru Aburame sitting in his seat, Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon talking to each other, and Yui, who was fast asleep on her desk.

“Haru?” she asked softly, “Where is everyone else?”

“I-I told them not to, but they didn’t listen,” he stuttered.

“To what? What did they do?” she prompted.

“They all went to the playground,” he sighed, “They wouldn’t listen to me. They heard the alarm and said that they’d be back before you were and no one would know.”

Hanara pinched the bridge of her nose, “Right. Well, you guys stay here and I’ll be back.”

 _‘Byakugan,’_ she thought, activating her kekkei genkai.

Sure enough, they were all running around the Academy playground.

Hanara made it there in less than a minute and silently observed them for a few seconds before creating seven chakra threads and wrapping them around all seven children, halting their movements.

“Now, you’re all going to follow me to the class, sit down, and then we’re going to have a nice talk, got it?” she asked, shooting them a smile and releasing the threads.

They didn’t move.

“Come on.”

They slowly formed a line behind her and followed her to their classroom.

“Sit down,” Hanara snapped.

The seven children hastily sat back into their seats.

“So, what made you think running out of a classroom was a good idea when a village-wide summon for anyone Chunin and above was happening?” Hanara asked.

“Sensei- I- We didn’t-” Hanabi started

Hanara interrupted her, “Exactly. You didn’t think. What if there was a criminal running loose in the village? What if the criminal saw all of you and thought, ‘I can hold these children hostage?’ What then, huh? This group has so many clan children, and even an heir. The Leaf Village would be in a tough position. You’re lucky that all of us took care of the issue before it became a problem! If I couldn’t find you all, what would happen? You can be sure your parents will hear about this.”

“What a drag...” Shikamaru groaned, walking inside the classroom, “What happened?”

“These- These _children_ thought leaving the classroom and going to the playground was a good idea when there was a village-wide summon for all Chunin and Jonin,” Hanara sighed, “We can take care of that later. Now, we better start with class. Another history lesson, so take out your notebooks.”

“Today, we’ll be continuing our lesson on the Third Shinobi War,” Shikamaru drawled, “And Hana-sensei will act out some scenes while I say them with her puppets.”

Hanara nodded, “Right. So, what do you guys remember from our previous lesson?”

A few hands were raised.

“Hanabi?”

“Well... it was the last Great War, and it happened over ten years ago. There was a decline of power between all the Five Great Nations, and they had lots of border skirmishes. The battles... _escalated_ until it turned into a war.” she said, looking at her notes for some of it, “It became a war of something that no one had tried to do before- a war to reduce the other countries’ power. But, since no one had that much battle-strength to begin with, lots of children that should have still been in the Academy became Genin and were fighting in the war. But that makes no sense! Didn’t you tell us that Lord Hashirama and Madara created the village so that children wouldn’t have to fight anymore?”

“That’s true,” Hanara agreed, “But, sometimes, what you want to happen, doesn’t.”

“Uh... right,” Shikamaru started, scratching the back of his neck, “When the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, was nineteen years old, he ran into some ninja from the Hidden Cloud Village. He fought Ay and Bee, but none of them had those titles at the time.”

Hanara made her paper puppets of Minato, Ay, and Bee act out a battle.

“Around that time is when the Third Raikage died and when Ay took up the title of the Fourth Raikage. During this time, the Village Hidden in the Sand had many inner disputes. One of its greatest criminals, Sasori of the Red Sand, also went rouge and the Third Kazekage disappeared mysteriously, causing the Fourth Kazekage to take up his hat. Here in the Leaf, though, life was still going on normally.”

Hanara used a few children puppets to show children going to the Academy.

“The war started shortly after that, and it is said that the Uchiha clan was one of its greatest contributors. One of the main Uchihas that fought was the clan’s last head, Fugaku Uchiha. One of the Leaf’s largest enemies was the Hidden Rock Village, and they fought on the Hidden Grass Village’s land, because the Hidden Grass Village was trying to take all the land on the border of the Land of Fire. Soon after, Minato Namikaze and his team, which comprised two Chunin and another Jonin, were asked to destroy Kannabi Bridge, so they could shorten the Rock’s supply line. They needed Minato on the front lines, so he left the other Jonin in charge. The Rock kidnapped one of the Chunin, and the other two came to her aid, but lost the life of another Chunin. Later on, the two remaining members of the team and Lord Minato destroyed Kannabi Bridge, turning the war in the Leaf’s favour,” Shikamaru said, reading off his notes. 

Somehow, Hanara kept up with his reading speed, acting out nearly everything that was said.

“Any questions on that?” Hanara asked.

“If that mission was so important, shouldn’t have Lord Fourth stayed with his team?” Hiroto Yamamoto asked.

“If he wasn’t there, other people on the front lines would have been killed,” Hanara said, “Besides, no one was expecting the Rock ninjas to kidnap a Chunin.”

“What does ‘aid’ mean?” Mori asked.

“It means ‘to help’,” Shikamaru drawled.

“Why would....”

* * *

At the end of the school day, Hanara kept all the students except for Konohamaru, Moegi, Udon, Yui, and Haru, inside. Once the aforementioned students and their parents were gone, she closed the classroom door, leaving Shikamaru to take care of the class.

She opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a civilian mother, “Excuse me, but you have no right to block us from picking up our children. Please go back to your classroom.”

Hanara smiled tightly, “Actually, as their teacher, I have every right. If you have any problems with me teaching them, please take it up to Lady Hokage, but I can assure you that I am a fully capable Chunin. Now, if that is all, please let me speak to you about what all of your children did today.”

There was a moment of silence, and Hanara took that as an invitation to begin.

“I assume that you all heard the village-wide summon for anyone Chunin or above?”

There were a few nods.

“Because of that, I and the other teacher had to leave everyone in this class unsupervised. We specifically told them to stay in this classroom and review their notes until we came back and even left Haru Aburame in charge. Once we left, all of your children ignored the fact that there was a village-wide summon, ignored the fact that their teachers gave them specific instructions, ignored the fact that Haru was trying to stop them, and headed off to the playground, leaving the class empty save for Konohamaru, Yui, Moegi, Udon, and Haru. When I came back, I saw five students in the class instead of twelve. What was I supposed to think? If Haru hadn’t told me where they’d gone, your children still might be missing! Which is why I need you to do your job as parents and teach them to be more responsible. It’s good that they can think for themselves, but they need to think _logically_. They ne-“

“But Akane-“

“Hanabi would _never-_ “

“Kane is a bit-“

“It doesn’t change the fact that they _did_ and all of you need to face the consequences with them,” Hanara said firmly, “You need to teach them responsibility and how to be logical thinkers, which I’m sure you can do. _Now_ you may go in and pick up your children, Ms. Takahashi.”

Hanara opened the door, and the parents walked inside.

_‘I’m glad there weren’t too many objections. This day was so exhausting.’_


	56. Chunin Specialties

It had been an eventful six months for the remaining Rookie Ten. Orochimaru’s followers had broken into the Leaf’s Strict Correctional Facility and taken Sasuke once more, Naruto had left on a two-and-a-half year training trip with Jiraiya, Ino had started training under Sakura, who was training under Lady Tsunade, Team 8, Guy’s Team, and Sakura along with the Genin members of Team 10 had gotten promoted (causing all the teams to split up), and most surprising of all, Asuma had offered to make Hanara his non-official apprentice after realizing she no longer had anywhere to go for training. Hanara, recognizing the fact that there wasn’t much else to go to since Wind Chakra Natures aren’t common in the Leaf Village, accepted.

So, Hanara was predictably at Training Ground 4 with Asuma-Sensei when Ino came running up to them.

“Hanara, Asuma-Sensei,” Ino panted, “Lady Tsunade needs to see you both in her office right now.”

Hanara stared at Ino confusedly but then ran to the Hokage’s Office, her two old team members (man, that made her feel nostalgic), following.

“Lady Hokage?” Hanara asked, slightly out of breath, noticing that all the members of Teams 8 and 10 along with Kakashi and Sakura, were there.

_‘Gotta increase my stamina training.’_

“I have received news that Orochimaru is dead,” Tsunade told them bluntly.

“Then... Sasuke?” Ino asked.

“We have heard nothing about him.”

“But, if Orochimaru is gone, why would he still be a rogue ninja?” Sakura asked, “He doesn’t hate the village!”

Kakashi put a hand on Sakura’s head, “Maa Sakura, Sasuke wanted to kill Itachi.”

“But, he can do that in the village!” Kiba exclaimed, “Besides, six months of training doesn’t get you to S-Rank level! Any idiot would realize that the smart move is to come back!”

Tsunade sighed, “Orochimaru can... easily manipulate people.”

_‘Hoo boy, if Naruto were here, he’d be demanding that we go save Sasuke. But, why is he getting special treatment? We should have declared him rouge long ago. Now that he’s no longer just staying with Orochimaru... anything he does will reflect on all the **loyal** Leaf Shinobi...’_

“So, uh, Lady Tsunade, are we going to go Sasuke-hunting or something?” Hanara asked after a moment of silence, “Or is there something else you need us to do?”

Tsunade clapped her hands together, “Ah, yes. The village has finally regained stability and so, I need to move you into different departments. As you know, being a Chunin isn’t just about taking missions anymore and you can go into different specializations. As the Leaf’s newest Chunin, all of you a being offered spots at various departments. You don’t need to choose which one to accept straight away, but know that you will only have fourteen days to think on this. I must make it clear that you have every right to refuse all these offers and remain as you are now with no specialty or affiliation to any of the departments.”

“Yes, Lady Tsunade!” everyone chorused.

“Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, Hinata Hyuga, and Hanara Hyuga, you are all being offered places in the Leaf Village’s Tracking Squad. If you choose to accept, there is a high likelihood that you will be asked to join the ANBU’s Assassination Unit. However, you can refuse that offer.”

The four Chunin nodded.

“Ino Yamanaka, you have been offered a spot in the Analysis Team. If you choose to accept, you may have to give up your med-nin training.”

Ino nodded, not looking surprised. Nearly every Yamanaka was asked to join the Analysis Team. Any competent one, anyway.

“Shino Aburame, Shikamaru Nara, and Hanara Hyuga, you have been offered a spot in the Leaf’s Cryptanalysis Team.”

_‘Huh, I would do well there.’_

“And, lastly, Choji Akimichi, you have been offered to start training to become an Academy sensei.”

Choji smiled.

“Sakura, you would also have been offered a spot somewhere, had you not become my apprentice,” Tsunade told the pinkette, who was looking vaguely put out.

“Oh.”

_‘Well, I don’t exactly fancy just abusing my kekkei genkai, so I’ll choose Cryptanalysis.’_

“I have a question, Lady Tsunade,” Hanara said.

“Yes, Hanara?”

“If I chose to accept the job in the Leaf’s Cryptanalysis Team, would I not get any missions on the field?”

“Ah, no. Sometimes, you will get those types of missions. All of you could be pulled out of your squads for special events, such as the Chunin Exams.”

“Oh. Well then, could you please tell the Cryptanalysis Team that I accept their offer?”

Tsunade groaned, “You’ve lost me some money, brat. I bet that you would say that in two days. Anyone else accepting offers?”

There was silence.

“Okay then, shoo. I have work to do.”

As Hanara left, she could hear Lady Tsunade’s groan, yet again voicing her frustration at the horrid thing known as paperwork.

* * *

Hanara went home, only to be reminded once more of the fact that she was alone. Neji had only moved out days ago, and she finally understood Naruto’s pain. A bit of the loneliness. Although, she was probably overreacting. She lived in a _clan compound,_ for Kami’s sake! She wasn’t alone! However, logic rarely trumped emotions.

Sighing, Hanara exited the home. Staying there was going to be more painful than it was worth, in her opinion.

_‘Training it is. Or maybe- no. Ino is probably studying some medical jutsus with Sakura. I’m lonely... There should be more kunoichis.’_

Hanara was walking past Yakiniku Q when someone stopped her.

“Troublesome...” a voice groaned, “Mommy, that’s Hana-sensei.”

“Yui?” Hanara asked, “Oh, what a surprise. It’s nice to see you! You’re in class 4a now, right?”

“Yes, this is my mom,” Yui said, pointing at her.

“Shikana Nara,” she nodded, “Pleasure to meet you...”

“Hanara.” she introduced, pushing the hair in her face behind her ear, unintentionally revealing a bit of the bandages underneath, “Hanara Hyuga.”

“You’re the one that taught using puppets?” Shikana asked.

Hanara nodded, “That’s me! Although, I can’t imagine Yui actually mentions anything about school at home...”

“She stays awake longer in your classes,” Shikana informed her, “That was genius.”

“Aaah,” Hanara shook her head, “‘Maru thought of it.”

“The other sensei?” Shikana asked.

“Yes,” Hanara affirmed, “Shikamaru Nara. You should know him.”

“Lord Shikaku’s son,” Shikana murmured, “Heh. Sounds like him.”

Hanara grinned.

“It was nice meeting you, Hanara, but I’m afraid we must go,” Shikana turned to Yui, “Come on!”

_‘Maybe not so lonely, after all.’_

* * *

**UNKNOWN LOCATION, THE LAND OF RICE PADDIES**

**Sasuke Uchiha’s Perspective, 5 Months Earlier:**

“Tch,” Sasuke grunted as he ran away from Orochimaru’s base, frustrated.

Apparently, Orochimaru’s run-in with the remaining members of the Sannin had cost said man greatly. Kabuto Yakushi, the ‘Genin’ that Sasuke had dismissed, was Orochimaru’s only reason of survival, and _Hanara_ of all people had killed him. Hanara had succeeded where Jiraiya and Tsunade had not. If Hanara could beat someone that had nearly won against a Sannin, then shouldn’t Sasuke be stronger than _that man?_ He had to get stronger! But now, he couldn’t.

Because Orochimaru was dead.

Orochimaru couldn’t make the switch of a body without his medic, and now, Orochimaru was dead. And with his death brought Sasuke two major problems.

One: Nearly everyone in the base hated him because _Sasuke_ was Orochimaru’s perfect choice instead of them.

Two: How was he going to get any stronger with _no one to train him_? He was a rouge ninja now! Rogue ninjas didn’t exactly find a sensei in another rogue ninja, and Sasuke had no _kind_ conta- wait! He did! And, if he was not mistaken, she was from the Grass Village.

_‘Karin Uzumaki... If the Uzumakis in the Grass are treated like Naruto was, this will be easy. They’ll want to keep their distance, and I can get her to steal jutsu scrolls for me. She can’t say no, either. She owes me. Besides, she mentioned her house was secluded, which will give me the perfect spot to hide until I convince her to leave.’_

Sasuke smirked. This was not as great as training from a Sannin, but with his curse mark, he might just be able to make it work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, I’m sorry about the unusually long wait. I fell sick last week (not COVID, believe me, we tested and it hurt). I’m still not fully recovered, but it’s enough to do the usual things minus going outside.
> 
> How did you like the ending? The Karin bit at the end wasn’t planned in the outline, but once I thought of it, I couldn’t let it go. Thoughts?
> 
> Anyway, the next chapter will most likely be the start of Shippuden, where Hanara’s changes finally will make a difference, I assure you. Shippuden is harder to write, and life’s finally going back to normal, so updates may be slower.
> 
> I started this out when quarantine did, and I can’t believe it’s been over half a year! Thank you all so much for the love and feedback. If you weren’t so supportive, whether it be through kudos, bookmarks, subscriptions, or comments, TCHT would have never have made it this far, so thank you! I know this sounds like an ending, and in a way, it is. Shippuden is the start of a whole new chapter in Hanara’s life, so whatever happens next, I hope you enjoy it.
> 
> Until next time!
> 
> ~ TheSlytherdorNinja


	57. To Protect

It had been almost two years since Hanara was sent off to the Cryptanalysis team, and she was liking it. She wasn’t always stuck in there decoding codes, because if she was, she would have definitely gone insane. Besides, she also took the Jonin exams one month ago and passed, so life wasn’t _just_ missions and decoding.

Right now, Hanara was taking a stack of the newly decoded codes to the Hokage’s Office so that she could check them over and place them in the Archives.

_Knock knock._

“Come in!” Lady Tsunade answered.

Hanara took in the people in the room, finding Sakura, Shizune, Shikamaru, Jiraiya and Naruto.

Wait, _Jiraiya_ and _Naruto_?

_‘Oh. They’re back... things are going to get hectic. Isn’t there a war that begins with this? I- I need to prepare, or I’m going to die young. Again. But what do I prepare for...? Uhhh, think about this later, Hana. You’re in public!’_

“Hi Naruto, Sakura, Shikamaru, Temari, Jiraiya,” she greeted, not paying much attention to their conversation as she walked up to Tsunade’s desk and dropped off a stack of papers.

“How do you get through all these so fast?” Tsunade groaned.

“Secret,” she responded with a small grin before turning to Naruto, “So, you’re back, huh? Did that old pervert teach you anything?”

“You better believe it!” Naruto cheered, “I’m back and stronger than ever!”

“Look at you,” Shikamaru smiled, “Who’d ever believe that you’re the same idiotic-“

Hanara snorted, _‘Great use of tact.’_

“Well, I mean, you’ve changed, haven’t you?” he said, taking in Naruto’s new appearance.

_‘I bet he only changed his outfit because it got destroyed or something.’_

“You bet I have!”

“He hasn’t changed one bit,” Sakura sighed.

Shikamaru slumped, “I didn’t think so.”

“We better get used to his loudness then,” Hanara remarked.

“Give me a break, Sakura,” Naruto groaned.

“Hey, does that mean you’re my opponent, Shikamaru?” Naruto asked after a moment of silence.

“Opponent? What are you talking about? I just came here to drop off some paperwork,” Shikamaru responded.

Naruto turned to Hanara, but she cut him off.

“I’m not your opponent, for whatever it is you’re on about.”

“Then... is it... uh, what’s your name again?” Naruto asked, turning to Temari.

Hanara facepalmed, “Even if you don’t remember her, look at her headband. Lady Tsunade wouldn’t give you a foreign shinobi for an opponent.”

Temari growled, “You don’t remember me?”

_‘He only saw you in the Chunin Exams while he knew us since we were children. It makes sense, I guess.’_

“You won’t find your opponent here, Naruto,” Tsunade sighed, “He’s outside.”

“Eh? I’m not fighting a tree or something, right?”

_‘Oh, honestly.’_

“Just go look,” Shikamaru groaned.

Naruto looked out the window and found Kakashi. After catching up for a bit, Naruto rummaged through his pouch and pulled out a book. A pervy Make-Out Paradise book.

“No way!” Kakashi exclaimed, “Is that- Is that really-“

“The first issue of the ‘Make-Out’ series in three years,” Naruto stated proudly.

Kakashi grabbed the book and stared at it with stars in his eyes.

“Pretty boring if you ask me,” Naruto shrugged, “But I know you like this stuff, so...”

Kakashi slowly started to open the book, acting like it was the most precious thing in the universe.

“Woah,” he laughed giddily.

_‘Damn, he’s acting like a child in a toy shop.’_

“Oh, and by the way, sensei, I got Pervy Sage to sign the book,” Naruto added.

“You better be happy with that,” Jiraiya hollered from inside the office.

Kakashi continued to read the new book, giggles escaping his mouth from time to time.

“Calm down, Kakashi, this is no time to be fooling around.” Tsunade sighed, looking just about done with her ninja.

Hanara didn’t blame her, but she couldn’t blame Kakashi, Naruto, and Jiraiya, either. 

Kakashi closed his new book and stood up, finally serious.

“Hmm?” Naruto hummed confusedly, “Oh! Does that mean _you’re_ my opponent?”

“Well, you’re half right,” Kakashi said, walking inside the office through the window.

“Huh? Half right?” Naruto asked.

“It’s been a long time, hasn’t it, Sakura?” Kakashi said, looking at the pinkette.

“Yes, it has, sensei.”

“So, as to who my opponent will be,” Kakashi said, shooting them a closed eye smile, “It’s Naruto and Sakura. The two of you.”

“The two of us at once?” Naruto exclaimed, “Can you even handle that, sensei?”

_‘I’d hope so. If he couldn’t, well then, they both deserve to be in the Bingo Books.’_

“That’s right,” Lady Tsunade affirmed, “How well you do will determine your future status in the village.”

“My future status...” Naruto echoed.

The wheels in Hanara’s mind were spinning, _‘Are they gonna get a promotion? Or is this going to determine their future teams? Maybe a position offer? Naruto **is** still a Genin.’_

“So, shall we get started?” Kakashi asked them.

“Huh? Start what?” Naruto questioned.

“Idiot.” Sakura facepalmed.

“Okay, you’re right,” Kakashi started, a devious gleam in his eyes, “You just got back, Naruto, you must be tired. We’ll give you a chance to rest, first.”

“Ehhhh? I’m not tired! I’m ready to go right now!” Naruto exclaimed.

“No, both of you take it easy,” Kakashi insisted, “Meet me at the training grounds tomorrow.”

And he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

_‘Oh boy, he’s way too excited to read that book.’_

“Well, that’s odd, isn’t it?” Shizune commented.

“Yeah, he seemed in a bit of a hurry, and I have a good idea why,” Lady Tsunade said, exasperated.

“That book,” Shikamaru said suddenly.

Naruto growled, “I can’t believe him!”

“That explains the gleam in his eye,” Sakura sighed.

* * *

Naruto, Sakura, Hanara, Shikamaru, and Temari walked outside the office, still listening to Naruto’s loud complaints. Feeling bad for Sakura, Hanara decided to accompany her and Naruto, who were walking ahead of Shikamaru and Temari.

“It’s like he cares more about that stupid book than our training!” Naruto exclaimed, “I shouldn’t have given it to him...”

“Well, look on the bright side.” Hanara started, “Now you can create a battle plan with Sakura.”

Naruto looked like he hated that idea, and didn’t respond, instead smirking slyly and to falling behind Sakura.

Curious, Hanara did the same thing.

“Are you two going out or what?” Naruto asked, jabbing Shikamaru with his elbow.

 _‘I’d hope not, because he asked me two weeks ago.’_ Hanara thought, putting a hand over her mouth in an attempt to muffle her giggles.

From in front of them, Sakura turned around and looked shocked. She put her hands on her hips and started to angrily march towards Naruto.

“Not even close, idiot,” Shikamaru said lazily, saving Naruto from Sakura’s wrath.

“Hah,” Temari snorted, “You’ve got to be joking. As if I would even.”

Naruto looked at them confusedly, “Then why are you here?”

“The Chunin Exams are about to start, so I’ve been running back and forth from your village to mine to get ready for them,” Temari said.

“Yeah, that’s right. It’s a drag, but I’m her escort. And, don’t ask how it’s happened but I’ve been put in charge of organizing the Chunin Exams.” Shikamaru added.

“And this idiot nominated me to come up with the first exam,” Hanara sighed, “Getting me out of paperwork only to put me in charge of even more paperwork...”

“Getting you out of paperwork...?” Naruto trailed off.

“I’m a part of the Cryptanalysis Team,” seeing Naruto’s confused face, she elaborated, “Decoding without the code.”

“Anyway, what are you going to do?” Shikamaru asked.

“About what?” Naruto asked, “What do you mean?”

“What do think?” Hanara asked rhetorically, “The Chunin Exams! You’re the only one in our year that isn’t a Chunin. Everyone is but you.”

“Huh?” Naruto yelled, “That means- even you? Sakura, you’ve been made a Chunin?”

Sakura chuckled, “That’s right!”

“Oh you haven’t heard the half of it,” Shikamaru added, “Kankuro, Neji, Temari, and even Hanara here have taken it one step further. They’ve already been made Jonin.”

Naruto stared at Temari and Hanara in shock.

“Oh, that was only recently,” Hanara laughed sheepishly, feeling a bit uncomfortable under Naruto’s gaze, “Like, a month ago recent. I only took the exam after Neji, Temari, and Kankuro passed.”

“What about Gaara?” Naruto questioned suddenly, “What’s he.”

Shikamaru, Sakura, Temari, and Hanara exchanged uncertain glances.

“Gaara’s the Kazekage,” Shikamaru replied.

“I see,” Naruto said a bit sadly, “So Gaara was named Kazekage,” the fire was back in his eyes, “That’s great! I’m happy for him! That just proves that one day, I can be Hokage too, you know!”

 _‘You know, I missed his unrelenting optimism.’_ Hanara thought, shaking her head with a fond smile on her lips.

* * *

Later that day, Hanara sat at her desk with a brush in her hand. She dipped the brush in a pot of ink and began writing on a blank scroll.

> _**To whomever it may concern,  
>   
>  If you’re reading this, either you searched my room without my permission and got through all the traps, or despite all my efforts, I’m dead before I could try and change whatever I know.  
> ** _   
>  _**There’s a lot of things that I never told anyone because it would have a Yamanaka in my head before I could elaborate. And, I suppose, since I’m dead, I should tell you. If it’s ‘Maru, Ino, Choji, Neji, or Asuma-sensei that’s reading this (and I really hope it is), it’s not that I didn’t tell you because I thought I couldn’t trust you. In the beginning, yes, that was the case, but I can say wholeheartedly as I write this (the day Naruto came back if you must know) I wish I could because I do trust you. But, I’m afraid, that if I tell you, I’ll want to tell everyone. And, if I do that, my life will be in danger, despite how little I know in actuality.  
> ** _   
>  _**I’m sure you’ve noticed the smaller scrolls that were in here when you first unrolled this one. They’re all for different people, as you should be able to tell by the backs. Whoever is reading this, please give them to the people they’re addressed to. After that, please burn this scroll and tell the others to burn their scrolls.** _
> 
> _**Sincerely,** _
> 
> _**Hanara Hyuga, Jonin of the Hidden Leaf Village** _

She sighed and pulled out around ten smaller scrolls. 

This is where everything hellish began if what she saw and remembered was correct. She didn’t want another war to break out, especially not a war full of people that _should_ be dead. If that meant that she might die early and as a result, reveal her past to everyone, so be it. The people in this world have become important to her, and if there’s one thing that Hana Lashi and Hanara Hyuga have in common, it’s the desire to protect anyone close to their hearts.


	58. The Akatsuki's Return

**A/N: Sorry for the wait! It's been a pretty busy week and I haven't had as much time to write as I would've liked.**

The next day, Hanara went to the Missions Desk and got the most boring mission ever. Guard duty for the Hokage Tower. She was stationed on the roof and was told to use her Byakugan to scan for any remote threats, note who entered the building and who left the building, and what time they entered and/or exited. So… maybe not too boring.

The day went by as usual with a ton of Academy students entering and exiting the building along with the handful of shinobi. Nothing was out of the ordinary until Hanara saw it.

“Hey, Ahma,” Hanara called to her partner, “Did Lady Hokage mention any letters from the Sand arriving today?”

“No, why? Is there a hawk coming?” Ahma asked.

“Yeah…”

Once the hawk came, Hanara untied the scroll from its leg and sent the hawk on its way.

She read the note, mentally deciphered it (being in the Cryptanalysis Team helped with that), and gasped.

“I need to get this to Lady Hokage straight away,” she informed Ahma after scribbling down the deciphered version underneath the note.

Not questioning it, Ahma nodded, causing Hanara to run down the side of the building and enter through Lady Tsunade’s window.

“Lady Tsunade, terrible news,” Hanara said, walking in.

‘Oh, I guess Sakura, Naruto, and Kakashi-Sensei are a team now.’ she thought, noticing the three in the room, ‘Oh, are Iruka-Sensei and Shizune helping them? I wonder what’s going on.’

“What is it now?” she asked, sounding a bit annoyed.

“Emergency dispatch from the Sand,” Hanara said hurriedly, walking up to her and handing over the scroll, “I deciphered it as quickly as I could.”

“What the–” Tsunade gasped.

Hanara sighed and nodded grimly.

Iruka-Sensei and Shizune looked over Tsunade’s shoulder and wore equal expressions of shock. 

“It can’t be!” Iruka-Sensei exclaimed.

“No way,” Shizune murmured.

“What is it? What happened?” Naruto asked hesitantly.

Hanara looked to Tsunade, who gave her a nod.

“It’s the Kazekage,” said Hanara shortly, staring Naruto right in the eye, “He’s been taken prisoner by the Akatsuki.”

“You mean… Gaara,” Naruto said.

She nodded.

“We’ve been studying them, so we know more about the Akatsuki than any other village. Therefore, the Sand has officially asked for our help,” said Lady Tsunade.

“Granny, please. Let us do that mission instead,” Naruto requested, unusually serious.

Lady Tsunade seemed to be thinking it over.

_ ‘Seriously? You’re just gonna hand over Naruto to them? Well, I suppose she doesn’t have the time to call another squad…’ _

“M'lady, you can’t be giving in to his–” Shizune started.

“This is urgent, I haven’t the time to dispatch another squad. Besides, we have two people here that have fought the Akatsuki.”

Hanara startled _ , ‘Me? I didn’t do much other than shoot my mouth off… She can’t be considering me!’ _

“Alright, Team Kakashi, I’m assigning you a new mission. You’re to go to the Sand Village at once. Find out what’s going on there and keep us informed. Remain there and follow their orders. Give them any backup necessary. And, Hanara, you’re going to join them and be their team captain. This is your first month off the Cryptanalysis Team since becoming a Jonin, correct? This will be your first mission as a Jonin captain.”

Hanara’s eyes widened _ , ‘That’s such an important mission! Deep breaths, Hana, you can do this.’ _

“Right, Lady Tsunade!” Hanara nodded, “You’ll need to tell Ahma that I won’t be coming back or get someone else on guard duty on top of the tower though…”

“I’ll handle that,” Tsunade nodded, “Pack your things and leave as fast as you can.”

“Right! Get to the main entrance in thirty minutes,” she told her team.

_ ‘This is weird… leading Kakashi Sensei? Oh, Kami…’ _

Half an hour later, Hanara and the rest of her team along with Lady Tsunade and Iruka-Sensei were at the main gate. 

“Okay! Let’s get going!” Naruto exclaimed.

“Be back soon, m’lady,” Sakura said, saluting.

“We won’t let you down,” Hanara nodded.

‘Not nervous at all. Nope. No nervous-y feelings.’

“You bet we won’t!” Naruto exclaimed, “Failure isn’t an option.”

‘So feeling better now.”

“Good,” Tsunade nodded.

“Naruto,” Iruka-Sensei said softly, “Good luck.”

Naruto nodded.

“Alright,” Hanara started, “Let’s go!”

  
  


However, they were stopped a few minutes later by Jiraiya.

“Hey there!” Jiraiya exclaimed happily.

“Jiraiya, we’re on a really really important mission. Easily an S-Rank.” Hanara said, stepping forward, “Is this that urgent?”

He got serious immediately and turned to face all six of them.

“I have some disturbing news. The Kaze–”

“We know,” Hanara interrupted, ”That’s where we’re going right now.”

“Mhmm,” Naruto nodded, smiling proudly.

“Now, let’s go!” Hanara said urgently, “The sooner we get there, the better!”

_ ‘Right! If we go on Pho and her brother, Fuji, we should get there quickly.’ _

Hanara bit her thumb and performed the Summoning Jutsu twice. After training for so long, it didn’t take as much chakra as it used to. 

“Pho, Fuji, can you both fly us to the Sand Village?” she asked.

They nodded.

“Okay, Kakashi-Sensei and Naruto, get on Fuji,” she told them, pointing at the phoenix, “Sakura, you get on Pho with me.”

‘Ordering around Kakashi-Sensei, even though he’s not  **my** sensei, felt weird…’

“Hold on!” Jiraiya said.

“Every second wasted–”

He cut her off, “This is important. I need a word with Naruto.”

Hanara closed her eyes and exhaled slowly.

_ ‘This better not be something stupid like warning him about the Akatsuki. He understands that perfectly well.’  _ she thought as Naruto ran to Jiraiya.

Kakashi-Sensei walked up to Hanara.

“You’ll lead this mission just fine. In fact, you are already. Don’t worry,” he said, giving her a closed-eye smile.

She nodded.

“Well, what are you guys waiting for?” Naruto yelled from in front of them, “Come on!”

“You’re getting on Fuji, idiot!” Hanara growled.

“Oh, right…” he said sheepishly, running back.

The four got on their respective birds and flew into the afternoon sky.

It had been nearly a full hour of travel, but Naruto was getting anxious and kept not-so-nicely requesting Fuji to go faster.

After the fifth time, Hanara snapped.

“Naruto!,” she yelled sharply over the whistling wind, “Fuji is going as fast as he can, and he sure as hell is going faster than you can run. I understand that you’re concerned for Gaara, but we’re going as fast as we can!”

“Look, I’m sorry, okay! But Gaara’s waiting for us, ya know! We have to get there and save him!”

“You disrespecting my summons isn’t helping anyone! Pho and Fuji are the fastest phoenixes I have! Quit it, alright!”

“Gaara–”

_ ‘For Kami’s sake!’ _

“I don’t think you understand, Naruto,” Hanara said, her voice dangerously low, “Jiraiya may have let you complain all you want and do things your way, I wouldn’t know. However, I won’t tolerate anyone disrespecting my phoenixes like this. We are on an extremely important mission, and for some odd reason,  _ I’m  _ in charge of it. Not Kakashi-Sensei, not Sakura, and for sure not  _ you,  _ but  _ me _ . Fuji is  _ my  _ summoning animal. So, as your mission leader, I’m not  _ requesting  _ you, I’m  _ ordering  _ you to stop distracting Fuji and calm the fuck down, alright?”

Naruto sent Hanara a defiant stare.

“Don’t lose your cool,” Kakashi told him quietly, “Master Jiraiya taught you better than that, didn’t he?”

“Oh boy,” Sakura sighed.

Hanara saw movement out of the corner of her eye and immediately turned on her Byakugan.

Noticing the bulge of veins around Hanara’s eyes, Sakura asked, “What is it?”

“Temari’s flying our way. I don’t think she knows...”

“Slow down please, Pho,” Sakura said, “You too, Fuji. TEMARI!”

“What’re you guys doing heading this way?” Temari asked, hovering in the air on her fan.

Fuji and Pho also started to hover once noticing that.

The four Leaf shinobi shared glances of concern before Hanara hesitantly spoke up.

“We got a distress call from the Sand,” she told Temari seriously, “The Kazekage has been taken by the Akatsuki and we’re on a mission to help.”

Temari gasped and her face betrayed the concern she was feeling for her brother.

“You mean– Gaara–”

She nodded gravely.

“We’re a day away from the Sand,” Kakashi-Sensei said, gesturing in the direction of the village, “Hanara’s birds are fast, but still, we should hurry.”

“Pho should be able to take you on, as well, but it’ll be a tight fit. We’ll get there faster than you will on your fan,” Hanara offered.

Temari nodded, all previous emotion gone, “Thank you.”

The Sand kunoichi flew closer to Pho and climbed on her. Then, she grabbed her fan and folded it up.

“Come on, Pho, Fuji. Let’s go.”


	59. The Sand's Disaster

Two hours later and Naruto was getting restless. Again.

"I can't take this anymore!" Naruto exclaimed, "I know why they're after Gaara and me. It's not like it's a secret or something. They just see us and think 'monster.' It's like that's all there is to us! You know too, don't you, Sakura, Hanara."

_'Actually, I think Sakura might still be a bit oblivious...'_

"There's no point in hiding it," Naruto continued on angrily, "The Nine-Tailed Fox is sealed away inside me. It was why I am always treated as an outcast. Gaara and I are the same. We have monsters locked up inside us and why the Akatsuki are after us. They're not after us at all! All they care about is what's inside us, and that's the worst part! They look at us and see monsters!"

 _'Discrimination... it's everywhere, no matter the world. But, now's not the time to be moping about it. We need to focus on the mission. We can think about all the world's problems later,'_ Hanara thought firmly.

"Gaara doesn't deserve to be treated like this! He's the Kazekage, he's a person, too! Can't he be _happy_ for once in his life? That's why we have to hurry! We don't have a second to waste!" Naruto exclaimed.

Hanara closed her eyes and clenched her fists, trying not to explode for the second time this mission.

 _'Easy for you to say! You slept on my birds, Pho and Fuji did not. They've been flying for a day straight you ungrateful little– calm down..._ **_calm_ ** _...'_

"We're going as quickly as we can," Hanara responded with forced calmness.

* * *

A few hours later, they were still flying to the Sand. Pho and Fuji managed to avoid flying into the sandstorm, making sure that they would get in at least 24 hours earlier than the Sand Village would expect them to be there.

"Naruto, Hanara," Sakura said suddenly.

"Yeah?" Hanara questioned.

"So, tell me. You've both met him before, haven't you?"

_'You're going to need to be a bit more specific...'_

"Who?" Naruto asked.

"Itachi Uchiha. And he's after you, right, Naruto?"

Hanara nodded.

Sakura clenched her teeth and spoke, "That's the whole reason he left. Sasuke saw Orochimaru as a way to obtain power, but all that nasty viper cares about is his body."

"And we only have six months left to save him," Naruto added.

_'I don't understand. Why is Tsunade humouring them so much? I mean, I understand why she wanted Sasuke back in custody⎯ that was the best way to weaken Orochimaru and then kill him. But he's dead now, so why 'save' Sasuke? If anything, the benefits of having a rogue ninja that left the village is just one thing. Having control of the threats to the village. That's why most people can't be bothered with that and keep their rouge ninjas in the Bingo Book...'_

"But," Sakura continued on angrily, "Orochimaru used to be a part of the Akatsuki himself. All I'm trying to say is, the closer we get to the Akatsuki, the closer we get to Itachi, and the closer we get to Itachi, the closer we get to Sasuke."

* * *

An hour later, the gates of the Hidden Sand Village were in sight and Fuji and Pho landed a few metres away from them. Once all five of their passengers climbed off, the exhausted phoenixes disappeared in a puff of smoke. Hanara and her squad ran up to the gate, where they were met by two men whose expressions lit up once they saw who it was.

"The Leaf's reinforcements along with Lady Temari have arrived!" The one on the left exclaimed happily.

"Please, come this way," said the one on the right, leading them to what Hanara assumed was the Sand's equivalent to the Hokage's Tower.

They stopped in front of the hospital and the man gave some bad news. The Akatsuki poisoned Kankuro.

"What? You're saying that they got Kankuro?!?" Temari exclaimed.

_'Sakura. If no one can do anything, we need to let Sakura heal him.'_

"Yes, when the enemy took Lord Kazekage, Kankuro went after him and was poisoned. We can't find anything to counteract it. He won't last much longer."

Hanara's eyes widened.

_'First Gaara and now Kankuro.'_

"Don't give up, Temari," said Sakura determinedly, "Let me take a look at him."

The six people walked in and Naruto and Temari rushed towards Kankuro, who looked extremely different without his face paint.

"Kankuro!" Temari gasped.

_'I can't imagine... it's just like all those years ago when I was afraid that Choji and Neji were dead...'_

Hanara was about to walk up to Kankuro's hospital bed, but an old lady started charging towards Kakashi-Sensei.

"Get ready to defend yourself or die!"

Hanara immediately got into a defensive position, confused.

 _'We're allies now, why would they attack Kakashi Hatake of all– ohh. Hatake._ **_Sakumo_ ** _Hatake aka the White Fang was his father and a huge enemy of the Sand Village back in the Second Shinobi War. Kakashi-Sensei probably has some sort of resemblance to his father. If this lady is as old as she looks, she probably lost someone to Kakashi's dad.'_

As the old woman attempted to kick Kakashi-Sensei, Hanara performed the Eight Trigrams, Rotation, and turned on her Byakugan, making sure to move as the old lady did. Once the old lady moved back to create some distance, Hanara stopped her jutsus and spoke.

"He's not the White Fang, lady. The White Fang's been dead for a long time."

The old lady glared, "I've waited for this day for so long. It's finally time for me to destroy the White Fang for what he did to my family."

She was about to charge, but an old man appeared out of nowhere and stopped her.

"Take a closer look at the man," said the old man.

"Huh?"

The old lady stared at Kakashi-Sensei, who was giving an eye-smile and raising his hands in surrender.

"Besides, the White Fang of the Leaf died long ago," the old man continued, "Isn't that so, sis."

"Oh well, never mind," the old woman said cheerfully, laughing.

Hanara smacked her forehead.

_'What was the point of all that? To waste my chakra?'_

* * *

After that horrible first impression, they were introduced to each other. The old woman's name was Lady Chiyo and was apparently a big deal in the Sand Village. Her brother was Lord Ebizo. Lady Chiyo was the village's poison expert.

"I _am_ an expert of most poisons," said Lady Chiyo sadly, "But this one is beyond even me. That Sasori... he really advanced his skills."

"So... what now?" asked Kakashi-Sensei.

"Well, the only one who is more well-versed in antidotes than I is the Queen of Slugs and Elixirs, Tsunade of the Leaf. During the Great War, she thoroughly deciphered all the poisons I had synthesized, compounded antidotes for them, and made a complete fool out of me. You're allied with the Leaf right now, aren't you? You better summon her and take a look."

Hanara shook her head.

"Sakura should suffice for the moment. I doubt that she couldn't find an antidote for whatever poison Sasori used on Kankuro."

Sakura immediately took a look at Kankuro and managed to remove the poison in a few minutes.

"Phew," Sakura sighed, "I removed most of the poison so there's no immediate danger yet, but we still have to neutralize the remaining toxins in his system. Someone has to go and fetch me some medical supplies."

"I never imagined a girl like you would come along," Lady Chiyo said, "You remind me of that slug lass."

"Well, she is my mentor, you know," Sakura blushed.

"Time sure flows by..."

* * *

"What's happening with the pursuit of the Akatsuki?" Hanara asked Baki.

"Kankuro went solo and ended up like this. That's it." Baki responded.

"So they're long gone," Hanara sighed, massaging her temples.

"Well... yeah."

_'What do we know? Or, what do I know? Around 9-18 members, at least one from each village (most likely), known members are Kisame Hoshigaki, Itachi Uchiha, Deidara of the Stone Village, and Sasori of the Red Sand. All of them are notable S-rank criminals and Orochimaru is a known past member. All-in-all, we're severely underclassed. Since Sasori and Deidara attacked, Deidara might have left a trail that either I, Kakashi-Sensei, or Pakkun could see/smell. This isn't a completely hopeless situation!'_

"Take me and Kakashi-Sensei to where Kankuro fought," she told Baki, "If their chakra or scent still lingers, we need to memorize it so that we can track them."

"No need for that," Kankuro rasped, sitting up, "They took Gaara. You can follow his scent. Crow ripped off a piece of Sasori's cloak, so you can memorize that as well."

"Thank you," Hanara nodded.

Seconds later Kakashi-Sensei and Naruto walked in, the latter immediately running to Kankuro’s side once noticing he was up.

"Kankuro's got a piece of Sasori's cloak that you and Pakkun can use to track down the Akatsuki," Hanara informed Kakashi-Sensei.

"Kankuro... are you sure one of them was Sasori?" Lady Chiyo asked, almost hopefully from the other end of the room.

Hanara furrowed her eyebrows.

_'Why would she want that? Does this Chiyo lady know something or have some sort of connection?'_

"Granny Chiyo and Grandpa Ebizo?" Kankuro exclaimed, shocked.

Ignoring that, Ebizo repeated Chiyo's question.

"Kankuro? Is it true?"

"Yeah..." Kankuro responded, "He called himself Sasori of the Red Sand."

Lady Chiyo's eyes widened.

_'They know something, and I just wonder what...'_


	60. Battle Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Biju history, Akatsuki lessons, and the great Itachi Uchiha.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The Akatsuki’s timeline is just wonderful, and I have no clue when Deidara joined. But, I did a bit of research and thinking and figured Deidara was around 11-13 when he left Iwa and maybe 15 when the Akatsuki recruited him. Fight me (politely) in the comments if you think I’m wrong, I’d like to have a discussion about it, cuz the Akatsuki timeline is just... so confusing.  
> Also, do you appreciate the chapter summaries?

As Hanara and her team were about to leave the Sand’s gate, they were stopped by Temari and another Sand shinobi.

“Wait!” Temari yelled, “We’ll be your backup!”

“... you will?” Kakashi-sensei asked.

“Doesn’t the Sand need every shinobi it has, right now?” Hanara asked, “If the other villages find out your Kazekage is gone...”

“Temari, you stay and aid border security,” a voice from above them called, “I’ll represent the Sand myself.”

_‘Lady Chiyo?’_

“But, Granny Chiyo!” Temari started.

“It seems inappropriate for–” the other shinobi got cut off.

“Don’t treat me like an old fossil!” Lady Chiyo exclaimed, jumping off the wall she was standing on and landing perfectly on the ground.

_‘They do say the oldest shinobi are alive for a reason...’_

“SHE JUMPED!” Naruto and Sakura yelped, shocked.

“It’s been a while since I’ve taken care of my adorable grandchild...” Lady Chiyo muttered.

 _‘Grandchild? She did have an odd reaction to Sasori of the Red Sand... could he be her grandchild?_ _Both of them are amazing puppeteers in their own right.’_

Temari sighed, defeated, “I’ll go help the border security...”

* * *

Hanara and Kakashi-Sensei were leading the way, using their Byakugan and nose respectively. Once again, Hanara’s ability to see lingering fragments of chakra helped immensely.

“Hey, Naruto,” Sakura started, “Can I ask you something?”

She took his silence as an invitation to continue, “How long have you been a target of the Akatsuki?”

“How should I know?” Naruto responded angrily.

“It could have been from since he was born,” Hanara said abruptly.

Kakashi-Sensei gave her a questioning stare.

“Think about it. Deidara of the Hidden Stone is currently 19-years-old and was declared a missing ninja six years ago when we were ten, and he thirteen. I don’t know when, but he was probably recruited when he made a name for himself, about one to two years after, if the Bingo Books have anything to say about it. Sasori of the Red Sand left the Sand twenty years ago when he was 15, but again, probably wasn’t immediately recruited. Maybe they were recruited at the same time, and the Akatsuki was just forming, but that’s probably not likely since, to sway _two_ S-rank criminals, they need to have some other members, which is where I’m guessing Itachi and Kisame come in the picture _if_ that happened. Maybe they were recruited at different points in time, but with all the facts we have, they could have been hunting Naruto and all the other jinchuriki for 4-20 years. But, since we’re talking about _Naruto_ here, it could be since he was born. Going by the way he was treated, him being a jinchuriki was sort of an open secret. And... thinking about it... the Nine-Tails’ attack happened the day he was born, didn’t it? _It makes sense!_ If the person who attacked knew who the previous jinchuriki, if we even had one, was, it’s an easy bet.”

Sakura stared at Hanara, “Sometimes your brain scares me...”

“But, there are other factors to think about.” Hanara continued, now talking to herself more than anyone else, “If Naruto was the target of the Nine-Tails’ attack, that means someone was _controlling_ the Nine-Tails. There’s only legends about that... And, there’s something else. They attacked 16 years ago, and then three years ago, and now. Why do they have such odd gaps between their attacks? There’s so much we don’t know...”

“According to my information, it seems there were other reasons,” Lady Chiyo croaked, “Extracting biju sealed in humans takes some preparation. They needed time.”

“But, what’s a _biju_?” Sakura asked.

“WHAT? You’re a pupil of Tsunade’s and you don’t even know that?” Lady Chiyo exclaimed.

_‘Well, I didn’t even know until Lord Third decided to explain some stuff to me during the month before the third exam a few days after I was first brought to him.’_

“In the Leaf, information on the Nine-Tails is top-secret,” Kakashi-Sensei told her.

“That’s not surprising,” Lady Chiyo muttered under her breath.

“Anyway, biju are tailed beasts,” Hanara informed Sakura, “You know, like the Nine-Tails? Well, Gaara has the One-Tails, or Shukaku the Sand Spirit, sealed in him. There are nine of ‘em and Naruto’s beast is the strongest. I think, long ago the First Hokage caught the nine beasts and decided to give them to all the other nations as a gift of peace? Mito Uzumaki was the first jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, but I don’t know what happened to it after she died.”

_'My guess is another Uzumaki, possibly Naruto's father.'_

“There’s more than one?” Sakura asked.

“Yes,” Lady Chiyo affirmed, “Their name represents the number of tails they have.”

“The biju are dangerous chakra concentrations. Whatever the Akatsuki wants with them... it’s bound to be bad,” Hanara said gravely, “All of them in one spot is a recipe for disaster.”

Hanara spotted something ahead with her Byakugan.

“Everyone stop, right now!” she exclaimed, hand out.

_‘Shit. It’s Itachi. But.. it’s almost like he appeared out of nowhere. Did he learn to teleport? But... there’s something off about his chakra. There isn’t enough...’_

“... who?” Sakura murmured.

“So soon...” Kakashi-Sensei remarked.

Hanara glared, “It’s him again.”

“Itachi Uchiha...” Naruto spat.

“ _He’s_ Itachi Uchiha!?!” Sakura exclaimed.

_‘He doesn’t have as much chakra, and in fact, it looks a bit odd, but there’s no mistaking those eyes.’_

“Itachi...” Lady Chiyo started, “Yes, Itachi Uchiha. He’s the boy who murdered his entire clan...”

“Long time no see, Kakashi, Naruto, Hanara,” he stated, ignoring everything they said.

“WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!?” Naruto exclaimed, enraged, “YOU COME FOR ME, KIDNAP GAARA... I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!”

_‘Fuck, not this again...’_

She decided to disregard Naruto for the moment, who didn’t seem like he would charge _yet._

“Lady Chiyo, Sakura, Naruto, don’t look directly into his eyes,” Hanara ordered, “If you three do, it’s all over. _Especially_ you, Naruto. Got that?”

“Then what are we supposed to do?” Sakura asked desperately.

_‘I like how he’s letting us plan.’_

“Read his movements by watching his body and footwork,” Kakashi-Sensei advised, “Itachi’s specialty is his genjutsu. but it’s ocular. You’ll be okay as long as you don’t meet his eyes.”

_‘Why is he moving his hands so much? What is he doing?’_

“This is _not_ going to be easy,” Sakura sighed.

“I’d be concerned if it was,” Hanara remarked, “Even with three Jounin, including me, and people as experienced as Lady Chiyo and Kakashi-Sensei, Itachi Uchiha... he’s something else...”

“You needn’t be afraid,” Lady Chiyo said, “There’s several tactics to handle ocular genjutsu, such as that of the Uchiha clan. If it’s one-on-one, you better run, if it’s two-on-one, get his back.”

“What does that mean?” Naruto asked confusedly.

Hanara’s palm smacked her face.

“If it’s just you and him, run away. If it’s you and someone else, one of you can dispel the genjutsu if the other gets caught, _so as long as one of you is behind Itachi._ In other words, one of you would act as a decoy.” Hanara said slowly.

“There’s some old age wisdom for you!” Naruto exclaimed.

_‘No, it’s just common sense, dumbo.’_

“If it were regular level genjutsu, that would work just fine,” Kakashi-Sensei started, “But as someone who’s worked with him, I can say that Itachi’s level is something else. He uses the _Mangekyo Sharingan,_ which is another level to the Sharingan. If you get caught, he has you instantly. This isn’t about whether you can defeat genjutsu or not.”

“So, you’re saying this is a game of cat and mouse...” Hanara said, “It’s not about our strength level because he’s something else. We have no hope because we’re gonna mess up and get caught anyway. But... that’s not what I remember from when he used... what did Sasuke call it? Right, _Amaterasu._ That undefeatable fire... he was spent. I watched him and Kisame get away before Guy-Sensei came along and knocked Sasuke out. That Mangekyo Sharingan comes with a huge chakra cost _and_ I could tell that it was making him go blind. He gets weaker and weaker. I don’t think he’ll pull that out unless it’s urgent.”

“After only one fight, that’s a pretty good analysis,” Itachi remarked.

“Itachi...” Kakashi-Sensei started, pulling up his headband, “How much of your eyesight have you lost?”

“Kakashi, are you...?” Itachi started.

_‘His weakest skill, although by no means remotely bad, is taijutsu. That’s our only hope, and we have ninjutsu powerhouses here... **other than me**. They can all be decoys while I go in. Ugh, if Ino was here, I could tell them my plan without Itachi hearing...’_

“Anyway, I dropped my guard last time, but I don’t make the same mistake twice,” Kakashi-Sensei said.

“And you’re making a big mistake if you think I’m the same as before,” Naruto added.

“I’ll handle him, Naruto,” Kakashi-Sensei said.

Naruto was about to say something, but Hanara beat him to it.

“Kakashi-Sensei, considering your Sharingan and my taijutsu it’s best if we both attack together while Naruto, Lady Chiyo, and Sakura act as backup.”

“It’s about time for you to come with me, Naruto...” Itachi said, looking like he was going to attack.

“Stay here, Naruto,” Hanara said as Kakashi-Sensei rushed in, “Remember what I told you? He is literally made to defeat you.”

And with that, the fight began.


	61. The Akatsuki Base

Hanara and Kakashi-Sensei rushed in, Hanara sending visible chakra threads in front of her. She heard a gasp from Lady Chiyo but ignored it in favour of focusing on her opponent. Kakashi-Sensei sent a punch that Itachi blocked with an open palm. She saw movement to her left and found a shadow clone running to Naruto. Naruto just sent a Rasengan at it, causing it to explode in a puff of smoke.

_‘Damn shadow clones... still can’t tell the difference.’_

And then Naruto went extremely still, concerning Hanara. She focused harder and saw Itachi’s chakra spreading near his brain.

_‘Genjutsu? Naruto didn’t look in his eyes... damn Itachi’s good.’_

“Sakura, Lady Chiyo, it’s genjutsu!” Hanara yelled, still sending chakra threads towards her opponent.

_‘Dodging both of us? So damn good, but even making the threads invisible won’t matter... Guess I gotta get close.’_

Sighing, Hanara used her threads as wire, taking shuriken out of her weapons pouch and tossing them with her threads as a distraction. Obviously, with an Uchiha as an opponent, that was easily dodged, but it gave Kakashi an opening that he used to get in close. Then, Hanara did something she had been practicing with Asuma-Sensei for a while. She abandoned her chakra threads and quickly weaved the handsigns for the Replacement Jutsu, replacing herself with Kakashi-Sensei and sending a Gentle Fist strike Itachi’s way. As expected, Itachi caught her wrist before her hand made contact with his stomach, but she had a plan. Smirking, Hanara sent a burst of chakra to her wrist instead of her fingertips. It wasn’t as effective as it would’ve been had she hit Itachi’s stomach instead, but it still numbed his fingers a bit. 

Now Kakashi-Sensei and Hanara had switched positions, Hanara attacking Itachi with her Gentle Fist and Kakashi creating openings whenever he could with kunai or shuriken.

_‘I can’t do anything too chakra-intensive, because then I won’t have enough energy to face Deidara and Sasori... That man is too damn good at dodging. I just need **one hit** c’mon.’_

There was a sharp intake of breath and Hanara saw Naruto finally released from the genjutsu.

“You alright there, Naruto?” Hanara called, still attacking Itachi. 

Or, attempting to.

The man had such great reflexes, and soon enough her first strike would wear off. Feeling desperate, she kicked off a sandal, added a burst of chakra to her foot, and kicked instead. The Gentle Fist style didn’t use high kicks, so that caught him off-guard. Hanara learnt from her mistake and focused enough to block one chakra point. Panting, she used Itachi to kick herself backwards, created some space between them, and put on her sandal.

“Hey! Pull yourself together!” Sakura exclaimed, slapping Naruto, who was completely out of it.

“Naruto,” said Kakashi-Sensei seriously, “We’ll show you how to handle him.”

Itachi started weaving handsigns that Hanara recognized for a fire jutsu, and she immediately unsealed a scroll filled with water that she grabbed from her weapons pouch.

“Fire Style: Great Fireball!” Itachi exclaimed, exhaling the largest fireball Hanara had ever seen.

_Dragon. Tiger. Rabbit._

“Water Style: Raging Waves!” Hanara countered, using the water she had just released to spit out a wave of water.

The fire and water collided, creating a hazy mist that only Hanara could clearly see through. She was about to rush in and harm Itachi’s chakra system for good when she saw Kakashi-Sensei about to explode from the ground. Knowing that he had good reflexes and a sense of smell that was good enough to know where she was, she continued and prepared herself.

“You are within my field of divination,” Hanara whispered to herself once she was two meters away from Itachi, slipping into the Gentle Fist stance. “Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams, 64 Palms!”

She went full speed, knowing that with Itachi’s Sharingan, going slow was even more deadly than it was with a regular shinobi. There was also the fact that the mist was _not_ going to last long. Itachi managed to dodge at least a quarter of her strikes, but it didn’t matter. Gentle Fist was something to be feared, and Hanara proved it. Itachi couldn’t keep channelling chakra to his eyes once she was done with him. If his Sharingan was impossible to use, then it was guaranteed that he couldn’t do anything.

“Well done,” Itachi murmured, “You have improved since we last fought.”

Hanara shivered. Something about a missing-nin complimenting her was disturbing.

As the remnants of the mist cleared, Kakashi popped out of the ground from behind Itachi and punched him so hard it sent Itachi flying towards Naruto.

“Now, Naruto!” Kakashi-Sensei exclaimed.

“Giant Rasengan!” Naruto yelled, running towards Itachi and pummelling him to the ground.

There was a huge crater created, causing dirt to fly in the air.

_‘Wait, that’s... that’s not Itachi....’_

Once everything settled, there were sharp gasps released by everyone.

“... it must be a jutsu or something,” Sakura breathed.

“I thought his chakra looked odd, but I didn’t think much of it...” Hanara added.

“Yura...” Lady Chiyo murmured, “That was a Jonin from our village. He was on border patrol when we were attacked.”

Hanara nodded, “That jutsu is beyond regular Transformation– I could barely see the difference in chakra. Also, that Great Fireball and Sharingan isn’t something that can be faked. But it’s obvious what they were trying to do. He was a decoy. They’re good.”

“Presumably, they’re trying to create a new jinchuriki with the One-Tails.” Lady Chiyo croaked.

“And if you remove the biju from a jinchuriki... he’ll be dead,” Hanara said, determinedly not thinking of the prospect.

“Both of the Sand’s previous jinchuriki have died because their biju were removed.”

“Oh no...” Sakura breathed, tears forming in her eyes.

“You were always quick to cry, weren’t you, Sakura,” Hanara forced a grin, wrapping her arm around her. “We won’t fail, though. Not with our team.”

* * *

Finally, they stopped in front of a cave with rock with a seal on it for a door.

_‘Byakugan!’_

“Gaara’s beyond that rock, but that seal is a troublesome one...”

_‘Damn it, Shikamaru.’_

“It’s a five-seal barrier. You need to find the other four seals and rip them off at the exact same time...”

_‘And this is where Ino is really useful...’_

There was a splash behind them, but Hanara didn’t turn around. Her Byakugan revealed that it was Guy-Sensei and his team along with Pakkun.

“Maah, you’re late, Guy,” Kakashi said with an eye-smile.

“My hip and cool rival, you have beat me again!” exclaimed Guy-Sensei.

Before he went on a tangent, Hanara cut in.

“They’ve used a five-seal barrier, and we can only get in if we rip them all off at the same time. Do you have comms?”

“I do, young flower!” Guy smiled.

As he rummaged in his pack, Neji slid over to her.

“Who’s that old lady?”

“Lady Chiyo, an advisor from the Sand,” she muttered, “Very skilled in puppeteering and taught some of the Sand’s greatest puppeteers.”

“I guess it’s time I go,” Pakkun said, “No sense in getting in the way.”

“Okay,” Hanara started as soon as the ninken disappeared, “First order of business. The barrier–”

“So, where are they? The other four seals?” Naruto asked.

“I was getting to that,” Hanara said through gritted teeth, “Neji, they all should look the exact same.”

He nodded.

_‘Byakugan.’_

“I see them,” the Hyugas said at the same time.

Hanara grinned, _‘I’m getting better.’_

“One’s on a rock 500 meters to the northeast...” Neji said.

“Another one’s near a tree by a river 350 meters southeast...” Hanara continued, “And one on a cliff wall 650 meters northwest.”

“The last one is in the woods, 800 meters from here.” Neji finished.

“Alright! They’re all within the wireless’ range,” Guy-sensei grinned.

“Neji, you’ll be able to see them easier than I will, so guide Guy-Sensei, Lee, and Tenten to the remaining seals,” Hanara ordered.

He nodded. 

After Team Guy tested their headsets, they scattered– not without a scream about the power of youth, of course.

“So, to break-in, I’m thinking we need a switch hook entry,” Kakashi said, jumping on the rock and inspecting it.

Hanara nodded in agreement, “Got that, Sakura?”

“Ri–”

“Team Guy has reached their seals,” Kakashi announced after listening through the comm that Guy-Sensei gave him.

Kakashi ripped off his seal and quickly leapt off the rock.

“Sakura, now!” Hanara commanded.

“SHANNARO!”

She punched the rock and completely shattered it.

Hanara took in their surroundings. 

There were eight holograms of missing-nin standing on pieces of rock, and she immediately memorized their figures. If she could get home, the first thing she would do was get Shikamaru to look through the Bingo Book and find them. The stones the holograms were hovering over were arranged in a circle in front of a huge statue. In the middle of the circle was Gaara. To normal eyes, he would look like he was sleeping, but Hanara could see the chakra being sucked out of him _and into the statue_.

_‘Shit. At least he’s alive... but it looks like everything would be over in twenty minutes.’_

Ignoring her pessimistic thoughts, she continued to study her surroundings. Deidara of the Hidden Stone and Sasori of the Red Sand were the only two members of the Akatsuki _not_ hovering over rocks as well as the only non-holograms. 

_‘They’re meant to stop us from getting Gaara. But... they need Gaara’s chakra to go into that weird statue. Sakura should be able to destroy the statue. But, who knows how many–’_

Hanara scanned the statue and saw massive amounts of chakra.

_‘If the difference between Gaara’s chakra before and Naruto’s is anything to go by... there’s at least two other tailed beasts in there. If we destroy the statue, we’ll have two-three biju on the loose. But the only other way to stop them is to find each and every one of these people in less than twenty minutes or the obvious one. Get Gaara.’_

Everyone is paranoid in a ninja village– and for a good reason. With the amount of missing ninja the Leaf produced, it became a necessity to change all its codes every two years. Even if all the members of the Akatsuki were Leaf ninjas, they wouldn’t understand a thing that Hanara was about to sign next.

“Now, let’s see... which one is the jinchuriki, hmm?” Deidara smirked.

“YOU!” Naruto yelled, “YOU’RE DEAD MEAT!”

_‘Fucking damn it. Why couldn’t I be with a nice, calm, rational team that didn’t act on their impulses...’_

“That would be it, then,” Sasori commented.

“Looks like it.”

“I don’t suppose you’ll just stop your chakra draining ritual and hand Gaara over?” Hanara sighed, discreetly signing in the Leaf Standard.

_Fight. Retrieve. Leave. Quick._

Deidara gave her an incredulous look.

“Life’s never easy,” Hanara muttered.

“HOW CAN YOU BE SO CALM WHEN GAARA’S DYING!” Naruto roared.

_‘There’s so many ways I can counter that I can’t even–’_

He turned to Gaara, “GAARA GET UP! HOW CAN YOU JUST LIE THERE?”

Naruto started walking towards Gaara.

_‘What did Jiraiya even teach him? I swear he’s worse at controlling himself than he was before!’_

Hanara used her chakra threads and pulled him back.

“LET ME GO, HANARA!”

“That is enough, Naruto. You are being a liability. I can think of over twenty ways those two could’ve killed us right now. If you want yourself and Gaara to _stay alive,_ you are going to control yourself. Gaara has, because of you, under fifteen minutes before he is dead. Listen to me, or this mission _will_ be a failure. You are so out of it that you haven’t even gotten the instructions everyone else understood. _Control_ yourse–”

She saw Sasori’s puppet heading straight for her and quickly weaved handsigns.

_Tiger. Ox. Dog. Rabbit. Snake._

“Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!” 

Hanara released a gust of wind through her mouth that pushed the puppet back.

“She _was_ paying attention to more than her subordinate. Hm.” Deidara commented.

Hanara smirked, “You can never catch a Hyuga off-guard.”

Deidara threw clay figurines towards the five ninjas.

_‘I guess the battle’s begun.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I've realized that Hanara's done a ton of Naruto bashing in this fic, but honestly, she doesn't hate him. I just want to make it clear that Hanara does not hate Naruto. She just finds him a bit too loud and unreasonable at times.


	62. True Art

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm sorry. This took way longer than I thought it would. It was my mum's birthday, Diwali (I'm Hindu and for those who don't know, it's a huge festival of lights. Kinda like Hanukkah if you're Jewish, but for different reasons), and a general hectic week filled with festivities. Also, I've mentioned this before, I think, but fight scenes are hard for me, and this chapter was focused on that, so...
> 
> Anyway, y'all aren't here to see me give excuses and rant about life.
> 
> Here's the chapter! Enjoy!

** LAST TIME: **

**Deidara threw clay figurines towards the five ninjas.**

**_‘I guess the battle’s begun.’_ **

* * *

**NOW:**

“Sakura, it's a bomb! Dodge!” Hanara yelled, moving to the right as Sakura moved to the left, letting the bombs explode behind them.

_'Clay… clay bombs. What would be its weakness? It's a jutsu… Isn't clay made from mud? Soil? Something earthy. Earth is weak to lightning! Yes, Kakashi-Sensei is great at Lightning Release and can handle Naruto. I'm long-ranged but would do nothing against a bomber. Sasori however… my skills match his so much, it's almost insane! I mean, with my use of chakra threads, I could destroy his chakra system in two moves.'_

“Deidara,” Sasori growled, “Don't destroy the base with those pyrotechnics of yours.”

“Respect my art!” Deidara demanded.

“You call those monstrosities, art? True art is eternal!” Sasori exclaimed.

“Art is fleeting; a transient beauty that fades after a moment, hmm.” Deidara said.

_'They take way too long to plan… but I can use this to my advantage. Gaara's still there. Ten minutes, is my guess… We need a quick way to get him out of here. Pho! Yes, and cha– no! The replacement jutsu!'_

Once again, she signed, and hoped to Kami that her squad saw it.

_Replacement. Target._

Her hands moved in a blur, and she performed the Summoning Jutsu. The moment she saw a puff of smoke that was bound to get her opponents' attention, Hanara performed the Replacement Jutsu, replacing herself with Gaara.

“SAKURA, GET HIM ON PHO AND GO!” Hanara yelled, dropping a few smoke bombs and Body-Flickering as fast as she could to escape from the very upset holograms of Akatsuki members.

“Deidara… Sasori…” one of the holograms growled threateningly.

Nodding, Sakura carried Gaara's unconscious body and climbed onto Pho, who, sensing the urgency of the situation, immediately flew out of the cave.

Hanara saw Sasori using his chakra threads to try to grab Pho, but immediately cut them with her Gentle Fist. Pho went full speed after that and was out of a _normal person's_ sight in half a minute.

“Deidara, follow them,” Sasori commanded.

Rolling his eyes, Deidara complied.

“Kakashi-Sensei, lightning. That should be a weakness, if I'm right. Take Naruto and handle the bomber,” Hanara whispered.

Kakashi-Sensei didn't acknowledge her words, instead opting to signal Naruto, who was calming down now that there wasn't any immediate danger.

The two of them followed the bomber, leaving Hanara and Lady Chiyo to take care of the puppeteer.

Studying the man closer, Hanara realized that the figure on the outside wasn't a man at all. In fact, even on the inside, he wasn't completely human.“

“My Gentle Fist…” Hanara gasped, “It's useless!”

“That's right, girl,” Sasori said, “If you even managed to break my shell, I don't have nearly as many chakra points as a regular person.”

_'Dammit, why did I send Sakura away? I think, for the first time, I'm actually scared for my life… I– I know I've died before, and– and that hurt. I never thought that I'd be afraid of death again since it's no longer an unknown but… I have things here. I got attached, and while that gave me Pho… it's made me fear things I hadn't before. I don't want to lose them again, but this man. He's– he's merciless. He's– something about him, it isn't right. He's scary in ways I didn't– he gives me bad vibes… Deep breaths Hanara. Sending Sakura was necessary. She's the only person that could make sure that Gaara didn't die on the way back and the only person that would know what's wrong with him. So what if your Gentle Fist is useless? You can cut him apart while keeping the distance you need so that you aren't poisoned. Besides, she gave Lady Chiyo three antidotes before… Alright, you can do this Hana. If you die, it's only cuz of chakra exhaustion or poisoning! I didn't even have the foresight to bring a mask even though I knew that one of these guys specialized in poisons. It's okay, you can do this, Hanara. You. Can. Do. This.'_

“Hanara, be brave. I'm here with you. Stand back and watch,” Lady Chiyo said, surprisingly gentle.

Lady Chiyo attached some kunai to her chakra threads and sent them flying towards Sasori, who immediately used his tail to block them all.

_'He's a puppet, that isn't going to work.'_

Hanara's eyes widened, and she smirked, _'I've never needed them like this– not like Asuma-Sensei does, but this might just work.'_

“Lady Chiyo,” Hanara muttered, “He's a puppet in a puppet. The only vulnerable part is his heart and it's heavily protected. Usually I'm the one doing this to other people, but it's best if you do it for me. _I'll_ be your puppet. I'm the only one out of us that can break his shell.”

“If you're going to play like that, then I suppose you leave me with no choice.” Sasori snarled, “So, Granny Chiyo, you want to join my collection along with that brat beside you? First I pull out the entrails. Then I skin the body clean and drain the blood down to the last drop. Add in a few preservatives, string it up, and we have a brand-new marionette. This is _my_ art.”

 _'He's fucking insane,'_ she thought in disbelief _. 'That's inhumane! I knew something wasn't right with him. My job here isn't to kill. It's to distract and stall. It's to survive until I'm sure Gaara's okay. So, just stall.'“_

“You know,” Hanara called out, “I have to agree with your partner. What use is art if it isn't special? If it's eternal no one will appreciate it. The sun, the grass, nature. All of it is fleeting; there for a moment and then gone. That's why people cherish it. Even _life_. People treasure it because it is momentary. That's why they tell you to live every day as if it's your last. The things we treasure are things that won't always be with us. My parents. They're gone, but I treasure my memories of them even more because of it. If everything is eternal, then why would I? They'll always b _–”_

She was cut off by a growl, “I'll have to add you and the hag to my collection. With the two of you, I'll have exactly 300.”

_'And I guess, that's all the stalling I can do without risking a poisoning…'_

“We don't know the inner mechanisms, but while I'm no Sakura, I _can_ cause some damage,” Hanara smirked, making sure to keep her voice hushed, “Usually, I'm the one doing this, so it'll be fun being on the other end. Lady Chiyo, control me. I'll be your puppet, and I'll cut through his puppet shell.”

She slipped her hands into her weapon pouches and pulled out four kunai from each. Hana slipped her fingers through the holes and with practised ease, and used her Wind chakra to sharpen them– much like Asuma-Sensei did with his knuckle blades.

“I trust you won't get me poisoned,” she smiled. “After all, despite the fact that I'm the Hyuga, _you're_ the one that will be able to anticipate his attacks.”

“Are we all ready?” Sasori growled, “I really hate waiting, you know.”

“Oh, don't worry,” Lady Chiyo smiled viciously, “We'll waste no time in _killing you_.”

Lady Chiyo made her threads invisible and made Hanara charge. Sasori wasted no time in spitting out a shower of senbon that were no doubt coated in poison, if her Byakugan was any hint. After a series of quick flips and dodges, Hanara was back on her feet, and behind Sasori. However, before she could do anything, he attacked.“

“DIE!” the famed puppeteer exclaimed, shooting out even tinier senbon from his left hand.

Lady Chiyo moved her faster than she did before and it was only her Gentle Fist training that let her move the way the threads were tugging her.

_'Well, now I know how it feels.'_

Once the second senbon shower was complete, Hanara and Lady Chiyo stood beside each other, neither of them panting or showing any signs of exhaustion. The sight caused Sasori visible frustration.

Lady Chiyo used Sasori's shock to her advantage and forced Hanara to charge. Sasori's reaction was slow but sudden, forcing Hana to stop abruptly in order not to run into the poisoned tail.

“HANARA, NOW!” Lady Chiyo yelled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I feel bad about letting Hanara take Sakura's spot, but that was the only logical way I could think of based on her situation. And, if you haven't noticed, Hana's very logical. Sakura's a medic and can keep a level head if Gaara's condition got worse (as stated in the chapter). I don't know, maybe you could have thought of something else that actually made more sense but I'm a young person (very likely younger than any of my readers) and I'm not you. Sakura will have plenty of time to shine, but this story follows Hana, not Sakura.
> 
> By no means am I a Sakura hater, but this isn't a Sakura-centric fic. I understand that this is one of her pivotal moments as a character, which is why I'm making this lengthy A/N in the first place, but nothing else made sense logically.


	63. The Puppet Masters' Battle, Pt. 1

** Last time: **

**Lady Chiyo used Sasori's shock to her advantage and forced Hanara to charge. Sasori's reaction was slow but sudden, forcing Hana to stop abruptly in order not to run into the poisoned tail.**

**“HANARA, NOW!” Lady Chiyo yelled.**

* * *

** Now: **

Hanara jumped high, arms above her head, and landed upside down with the kunai in her fists almost completely inside Sasori's puppet armour. Mission accomplished, she swung off the puppeteer and landed behind him.

_'Right, so now I need to tie my chakra threads through the holes of the kunai so that I can drag them all around and essentially cut up the 'body' to pieces...'_

And then, there was another stream of senbon that she had to dodge. Luckily, she still had Lady Chiyo controlling her, so she could completely focus on dragging her kunai knives around. Hanara created eight chakra threads, wrapped each one around the hole of the kunais, and pulled, breaking Sasori's armour.

The real Sasori was covered by a black cloth, making him look all the more mysterious as he stood up from his crouched position.

"I should have expected no less from my own granny. No wonder even the girl could dodge my attacks. The witch who could read my moves was steering her with chakra threads," Sasori stated, "And moreover, you took control of Hiruko's tail while you were at it. I only noticed when the tail stalled on me. You did it when you threw those kunai knives, didn't you?"

"Very good," Lady Chiyo smiled, "I made it invisible, but you figured it out."

"Of course. Remember who taught me how to play with puppets? Who drilled the talent into me?" Sasori asked rhetorically, "It was you."

"Yes," Lady Chiyo agreed, "But now, playtime is over."

_'So... I guessed right. This must be such a bittersweet moment for her...'_

Sasori pulled off the black cloth covering him and smirked, "So you think this will be easy, _Granny Chiyo_?"

_'He doesn't look a day older than me, and I'll be turning 16 in a month! It must be something to do with the fact that his body is literally a puppet.'_

"Let me show you my favourite," Sasori continued, pulling out a scroll and unsealing it. "This one was hard for me to finish, but I suppose that's what makes me so fond of it."

And out came a puppet that looked exactly like the Third Kazekage.

"No... that's not..." Granny Chiyo murmured, dumbfounded.

"The Third Kazekage," Hanara muttered, "Master of the Magnet Release. So _you're_ the one that kidnapped him... Wasn't the Sand Village your home? What could they have done, to make you betray them so? You turned the Third Kazekage to a puppet, quite possibly _helped_ Orochimaru kill the Fourth and then attempt to murder the Fifth!"

"I wasn't involved with the Fourth, that was one of my agents. But yeah, Orochimaru and the Akatsuki go way back. We've done some work together."

_'Psh, yeah, because one of your agents doing it makes it so much better. But really, how bad could the Sand have been to make Sasori betray them this much?'_

"It's time to get started," Sasori smirked, sending his puppet at them.

_'If only I had Earth Release. Then I could send soil into the puppet's joints, rendering it useless. I'll have to settle with cutting it up to pieces.'_

The puppet's arm extended with a few pops revealing even more limbs with explosive tags on them, but Lady Chiyo let her dodge, until she couldn't. Hanara was essentially trapped with large, exploding, plastic limbs looming over her. But then, Lady Chiyo pulled her out.

"Okay then," Sasori muttered.

One of the many limbs released a purple gas. 

Poison.

"HANARA! HOLD YOUR BREATH!" Lady Chiyo yelled.

 _'That's pointless and is just going to delay my eventual death. Let's hope that my new jutsu is enough_.'

Hanara whipped out one of her fans, made it as big as she could, and swung with all her might.

"Wind Style: Derecho!" Hanara exclaimed.

What was released was an intense, frightfully fast, windstorm that travelled straight through the cloud of poisonous gas. It was much stronger than her Wind Scythe, but in a different way. The best way to describe it was a chakra-powered _derecho._

Thankfully derecho did its job and the wind diffused the poison until its particles were so small that it couldn't harm anyone.

"Heh," Hanara grunted, "There's a reason I'm a Jonin. Don't worry too much, Lady Chiyo."

Lady Chiyo made her way to Hanara's side, "Wind Style and chakra threads? It's like you were meant to be a Sand Shinobi..."

_'Huh. That_ **_is_ ** _true...'_

"I'm a proud member of the Hyuga Clan of the Leaf, Lady Chiyo," she said lightly.

Suddenly, there was a wave of kunai attacking them, coming from some latches in Sasori's puppet's arms.

"WIND SCYTHE JUTSU!" Hanara exclaimed, swinging her fan. 

The kunais were knocked away with because of the mini tornado that Hanara summoned and parts of the numerous arms were scratched.

"It's time for me to help differently," Lady Chiyo croaked, pulling out two summoning scrolls and unsealing them.

Out came two puppets, one a male and one a female.

"Oh... those..." Sasori murmured, looking a bit nostalgic. 

"That's right. The very first puppets you created," Lady Chiyo said, "Mother and Father."

_'Mother and Father? Modelled after his parents, perhaps? Were they killed?'_

"What do you expect to do with them now? I made them. I know their tricks." Sasori said, looking as if he was actually intrigued.

Lady Chiyo didn't grace that question an answer, instead opting to send the puppets at him.

The puppets' hands were connected with wire and so, as they moved, the ton of arms were cut. But that was all Hanara could tell was happening, because once Sasori realized what the puppets were doing, he moved _his_ puppet so fast that Hana's eyes couldn't follow. It was a miracle Lady Chiyo was actually countering fast enough to cause damage. 

And then, it ended as fast as it began. Both puppeteers pulled their puppets back.

"Better speed things along... this is becoming a nuisance," Sasori murmured.

The puppet of the Third Kazekage opened its mouth, letting out a stream of black grains.

Hana's eyes widened. "So the chakra in the puppet is the Third Kazekage's..."

"Satetsu, the Iron Sand," Lady Chiyo said, "Things are going to get messy."

"But... how can that puppet hold chakra?" Hanara asked, "That's the only way it can still use the jutsu, but how?"

"Well that puppet is a human puppet built from a real cadaver. It's like a battery, it kept the chakra it had when it was still alive." Lady Chiyo said.

"Oh, there's more to it than that. Remember, out of everything in my collection, this one is my favourite." Sasori smirked.

_'Oh man, why did he have to be smart? Couldn't he go on that typical villain rant about how his techniques are superior?'_

"I'll take care of this," Lady Chiyo said, "Hanara, you get out of here."

"What?!" Hanara exclaimed, genuinely surprised.

"I did _not_ expect this. You're no match for him now. Not with this card in play."

"Lady Chiyo, I–"

"Too late," Sasori smirked, launching the puppet right at them. "Iron Sand Shower!"

There was a shower of iron sand. 

_'The Third Kazekage sure was creative...'_

On reflex, Hanara used Eight Trigrams, Rotation, knowing that Lady Chiyo could take care of herself.

And that she did. Lady Chiyo used her Father puppet to block the sand shower.

"So you did fiddle a bit," Sasori noted, "Chakra shield, huh? Quite an upgrade since I last saw em."

Panting, Lady Chiyo tried to spread the hands apart, but couldn't.

"The iron sand," Hanara said, after studying them for a few seconds, "It's got in the joints."

"Heh," Sasori smirked, looking extremely satisfied, "A jutsu you shouldn't just block. You should know that you have to dodge it. Is that it? Saving yourself is all you could manage? The iron sand has seeped into the doll. As long as I have the power of the Third Kazekage, that thing won't last. Now, this time I will attack both of you at once. And, to make sure you really are dead, I'll use my most lethal attack!"

The puppet of the Third Kazekage sent clumps of iron sand that were moving so fast that Hanara's eyes couldn't tell the shapes they were moulded in. All she knew was that they were heading straight for her and Lady Chiyo.

"What do you say to that, witch? One puppet, two people. You can't protect both!" Sasori grinned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I hope all of you enjoyed this! I re-wrote it a few times because it didn't feel quite right and while I know I'm updating a bit earlier than expected, I just had a lot of free time these past few days (and my mind kept nagging me to work on an update).


	64. The Puppet Masters' Battle, Pt. 2

**Last Time:**

**“What do you say to that, witch? One puppet, two people. You can't protect both!” Sasori grinned.**

* * *

**Now:**

_'She won't have to,'_ Hanara thought, _'There's a reason the Hyuga only use Eight Trigrams, Palm Rotation,_ _and it isn't because we couldn't think of something else.'_

As Hanara spun, using the aforementioned jutsu to protect herself, she saw Lady Chiyo stick out her own arm, releasing a chakra shield to protect her from the iron sand weapons.

“Just an arm, but still, rigging your own body? We puppet masters are all the same, aren't we?” Sasori commented.

_'Huh. What is it with ninjas and adding random bits to their bodies? Orochimaru, Sasori, Deidara (well actually, who knows if it's a kekkai genkai), and now Lady Chiyo…'_

Studying the arm closer, Hanara noticed little particles of iron sand inside, jamming the arm.

“Iron sand is stuck in your arm,” Hanara sighed.

“I see… So that's what you did, Sasori,” Lady Chiyo remarked.

Sasori didn't respond, instead sending another shower of iron sand at them.

Hanara rotated again while Lady Chiyo used her 'Mother' puppet to block the sand. 

And, Sasori got iron sand stuck in there again.

“Once the iron sand gets in, you're done for,” Sasori told Lady Chiyo, looking pleased. “Well, you're out of puppets now. What next?”

_'Sand and dirt can't be the only thing that can jam puppets. Something sticky–'_

* * *

**FLASHBACK:**

Hanara and Izumo were on gatekeeping duty; something extremely rare. Izumo hardly did anything without Kotetsu, but after a mission gone wrong, Kotetsu was injured to the point he had to spend a few nights in the hospital, leaving an open spot for the most boring mission in history: gatekeeping.

At this point, Hanara was so bored she was making little balls of water and letting them float around her.

Izumo stared at her in surprise. “You have a Water Affinity? Man, it's been a while since I've met another Water Nature shinobi that _isn't_ a medic!”

“Oh! You're one, too? I've been trying to learn some jutsus, but I've only got the library for help. “I know four, but two are almost always a waste of chakra for me.” she said, referring to the Hiding in the Mist Jutsu and her newly learned Water Whip. Hiding in the Mist was a literal substitute for smoke bombs, and why would she need Water Whip when she has chakra threads? Sometimes, she wondered where her brain went!

“Well, I'd be happy to help another Leaf shinobi for a few jutsus in exchange!” Izumo smiled.

**FLASHBACK END**

* * *

_'That's right! Izumo helped me create that thing a bit after we found out Orochimaru was dead!'_

Ram. Tiger. Rat.

She started off with the handsigns needed for Izumo's signature jutsu, the Starch Syrup Capturing Field, and ended with the last handsign of her Water Bullet Jutsu, creating her very own technique.

“Water Style: Starch Syrup Stream!” Hanara exclaimed after taking a high jump so that her liquid wouldn't hit the two puppets' clothes.

Just as the technique stated, Hanara spat out a wave of sticky syrup, completely engulfing Sasori and his puppet with the fluid. The nice thing about Water Bullet was that the way you spat it out could vary based on how you moulded the chakra in your stomach, something Hyugas excelled in. Hence, the bullet easily changed to a stream with that addition of a rat seal. 

_'I'm so stupid! Battle stress must've affected my brain. How the hell does someone forget about a **new** **jutsu**???'_

She smirked when she realized it worked. A ninja trapped was useless, after all.

_'His heart's the only vulnerable spot, better hit him there.'_

Sasori eyes widened in shock, as did Lady Chiyo's.

Chakra threads formed from inside Sasori's cloak, reaching towards his weapon's pouch, pulling out no doubt poisoned kunai and shuriken.

_'Should've expected this. His heart isn't a puppet bit, after all… Lady Chiyo is out of puppets, I better protect her, too.'_

“How…?” Lady Chiyo asked in disbelief.

“His heart.” Hanara responded briskly, slipping into her stance.

“Eight Trigrams, Rotative Blades,” Hanara said, spinning.

She used two blades to cover Lady Chiyo and sent one blade straight through Sasori's heart. It was quite easy to hit, considering the fact that he couldn't move. The shower of poisoned weapons stopped, and once Hanara was positive Sasori couldn't heal from that, she stopped spinning.

“Ah, I underestimated you…” Sasori breathed, “I suppose I'll do something pointless and give you a reward…”

Hanara stared at him, confused.

“That Nine-Tails brat… he's Uzumaki, right? Go to the Hidden Grass Village. You might find something surpri–”

Sasori went limp, and he could say no more. 

Hanara quickly sealed his body in a scroll, the gears in her mind spinning.

_'He means… no way! There's another survivor from the Whirlpool Village? But, by all rights, the Leaf should be taking care of them! I've got to tell Lady Tsunade! But first, Naruto and Kakashi-Sensei. I don't know how fast Deidara can travel, and we can't let him get Gaara again.'_

“Lady Chiyo, we have to go help Naruto and Kakashi-Sensei,” Hanara said, “You aren't injured are you?”

“Don't start treating me like an old hag now!” Lady Chiyo said, before acting a bit more serious, “I never imagined that the last time I saw my adorable grandchild, I'd end up killing him… Ah well, what can you do?”

Hanara bit her lip, _'I'm not good at this stuff… where's Ino when you need her?'_

Deciding to just get down to business, Hanara summoned Fuji.

“You need me _again?”_ Fuji questioned, “I'm starting to not want to be Pho, now.”

“Sorry,” Hana said sheepishly, “It's an emergency though.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

* * *

Hanara lead Fuji to Deidara, and they made it in time to see Naruto using his Rasengan against Deidara, ripping off his bird's head.

_'Deidara's arm's blasted off, so he probably won't be able to use jutsu. One Gentle Fist strike will make sure that he can't use chakra. He **is** S-ranked, so I wouldn't put one-handed seals past him, though._

She pulled out her fan and jumped off Fuji and then motioned for Lady Chiyo to follow.

“Fuji, you can go now,” Hanara said.

A puff of smoke signified Fuji's departure.

“Hanara? Lady Chiyo?” Kakashi called, “You defeated Sasori?”

“Hm? Oh yeah,” Hanara nodded, floating towards him.

“It seems like the two of you are having some trouble.” Lady Chiyo added.

_'Once my brain actually worked, it was easy. I'm ashamed of myself… Hell, even Konohamaru would've thought of that the moment he realized Sasori was a human puppet!'_

Hanara and Lady Chiyo jumped off the fan, and Hanara put it away.

“You've wasted a lot of chakra…” Hanara commented. “Is there anything I should know?”

“He makes his clay with the mouths on his hands,” Kakashi-Sensei informed her.

Hanara nodded.

“It's time for you to get hit!” Naruto yelled from in front of them.

“Yeah, yeah… I'll have it out with you another time.” Deidara sighed.

“You're too careless,” Kakashi-Sensei told him as Naruto charged.

Naruto's punch sent Deidara flying and his back hit the branch of a tree.

“Ah, so I see Sasori's been defeated. An old hag and a little girl. It seems like I thought too highly of him.” Deidara grunted, finally noticing Hanara and Lady Chiyo.

_'Not even a shred of sadness? These people really are heartless.'_

Naruto made four shadow clones and used them to hurl Deidara off the branch he was laying on and onto the ground.

_'Uh… seems like he's got that handled… I'm surprised that he's not yelling for Gaara, honestly, but I guess after seeing Sakura heal Kankuro, he's confident that Gaara's okay.'_

“Why does that boy care for Gaara so? They're not from the same village.” Lady Chiyo said from beside her, drawing Hanara's attention away from the battle.

“I'm sure you know by now, but they're both jinchuriki,” Hanara replied. “When we were younger, he was always alone, and I… I wasn't really much help. I thought he was an idiot, and I was too engrossed in my own troubles to even consider helping him.”

“They know the same pain,” Kakashi-Sensei added. “Naruto sees himself in Gaara. Gaara's the only person that every truly understood what he went through, so seeing Gaara being hunted like this for what's inside him makes Naruto furious.”

“I see… Naruto understands Gaara more than anyone else in the Sand Village…” Lady Chiyo looked down guiltily. “That is partially my fault. I was the seal master that sealed Shukaku into Gaara on orders of Lord Rasa. But, I am not a seal expert. The seal I used was flawed, and that led to the pain that Gaara felt. He didn't know love, but that Uzumaki Naruto… he showed Gaara. He taught Gaara what no one else could.”

Hanara stared at Naruto, who was slamming his fists into Deidara.

_'He's incredible for standing up all the time. I would've given up on the Leaf a long time ago…'_

Naruto slammed a Rasengan into the stomach of the bomber, but it revealed a clay substitution.

Hanara looked around and found the former Stone Village bomber easily while Naruto looked around wildly. She jumped to the bushes that Deidara was hiding behind and sent a Gentle Fist strike to his heart. Or was about to before she was startled by the _mouth_ there and hit a few inches off. The strike was still hard, however, and it sent Deidara flying back, and he hit his head on a rock. The blonde went limp, and Hanara pulled out a kunai.

_'I don't know how that mouth affects him, so it's best not to go for the heart…'_

Hanara made her way to the unconscious Deidara and quickly slit his throat with the kunai in her hand, putting her hand under the man's nose to make sure that he was dead. Sighing in relief, she pulled out a body scroll and deactivated her Byakugan.

“Is he…?” Kakashi-Sensei asked.

“Dead.” Hanara confirmed, rolling up the scroll once she finished sealing him up.

_'Two in one day. Huh.'_

“Good job, Neji!” she heard Guy-Sensei exclaim.

“Both of them are dead,” Hanara informed him.

“You– You killed Deidara?” Naruto questioned, looking a bit frustrated.

She nodded.

_'Oh! He– I see… He wanted revenge…'_

“Anyway, we better go back to Sakura and Gaara.” Hanara said.


	65. Fear

Hanara and her squad along with Team Guy made it to the Sand Village in time to see Gaara waking up with tons of people around him. No one noticed the returning ninja but the Kage on the hospital bed.

“Naruto…” Gaara rasped. 

Naruto ran over to Gaara and grinned, the relief obvious on his face.

Hanara walked up to Sakura.

“Hanara, you look exhausted!” Sakura exclaimed.

“Everything's a blur, honestly. I think my mind is still processing what happened… I killed two S-ranked missing ninjas and fought another one with you. I'll be fine.” she gave Sakura a forced grin, “A pretty heavy first mission as leader, huh. I think once we go back to the Leaf, I'll head straight to bed. I need some peace and quiet.”

“Do you want to talk to Ino? Or another Yamanaka even? It's not unusual for Jonins to do that, y'know.”

“Sakura, I appreciate it, but I'll be fine. It's just overwhelming, that's all. I'll get help if I need it, don't worry.”

Once everyone made sure that the Kazekage was fine and a few promises to get Jiraiya to look at Gaara's seal, they finally left. Hanara was really getting the need to escape from it all. She had been a ninja for a while now, heck she was a Jonin, but it was still the first time she truly felt in danger. It was the first time she felt the danger of the path she chose. On the run home she was oddly quiet. Maybe her teammates felt it or maybe Sakura told them, but no one bothered Hanara although she could see some concerned looks sent to her.

Nearly three days later, they reached the Leaf.

“Hanara, I can do the mission report for you," Neji whispered.

She shook her head, "No, there's something I need to tell Lady Hokage."

* * *

"Lady Hokage," Hanara bowed, wiping all exhaustion away from her face. "I've seen all members of the Akatsuki and killed two."

"WHAT?" Tsunade exclaimed, "Have you put names to their faces?"

"Not yet, m'lady."

"Once we are done with this, go through all the Bingo Books and give me their names."

Ignoring the incoming headache that was an effect of her two sleepless nights, she nodded.

"I was also given some information from Sasori of the Red Sand before he was killed. He implied that there was a remaining Uzumaki in the Hidden Grass Village."

Tsunade's eyes widened, "Are you certain that he was not lying."

"He seemed quite genuine. Besides, I doubt a dying man's last words would be lies," Hanara responded.

Tsunade's face steeled into one of determination, "You are dismissed. Find all the details you can on the Akatsuki"

* * *

Hanara worked through that night, finally finding nearly the names of all the members she'd seen.

_'Itachi Uchiha, Kisame Hoshigaki, Hidan, Kakuzu, a plant-like man, a man with a spiral mask, a man with the Rinnegan, and a blue-haired woman. Along with Deidara and Sasori that's one hell of a team… if they were all there at once we would've died, no doubt about it. Heck, half of their remaining members aren't in any of the Bingo Books! Not in any of the ones that have ever come out!'_

After looking through the books for another couple of hours (and fighting the urge to sleep), at eight in the morning, Hanara made her way to the Hokage Tower, notes in hand. She dropped them off quickly and went to bed.

But, while her headache subsided, her paranoia did not, and she was seriously considering the fact that something must be wrong with her. So, she did what she promised Sakura. She got herself help, but not from anyone that Sakura suggested.

* * *

When Shikamaru opened the door, he immediately noticed something was off about Hanara and invited her in without a word.

"Can we go to the backyard?" Hanara asked.

Shikamaru nodded and led her there.

"What's wrong?" Shikamaru questioned as they plopped onto the grass side by side.

_'Deep breaths, Hanara, you can do this. Opening up isn't that hard.'_

"You know I led that mission– the one to save Gaara," she started shakily. "I killed two S-ranked missing ninja, but that's not the point. I _fought_ two S-ranked ninjas. A battle. To the death. That jutsu Izumo taught me saved my life and I almost forgot it. I could've _died_ Shikamaru… Heck, anyone could've died. I thought I accepted that the moment I got my headband, but it just hit me. I don't know why Lady Tsunade put me in charge! I was panicking the whole time, and Naruto… When he saw Gaara almost dead he nearly ran straight towards the enemy… I was in charge of him! If the Akatsuki got hold of him because I couldn't make him stop…"

She took in a breath and shivered, causing Shikamaru to wrap his arms around her. She was thankful that he knew her so well and knew just exactly what to do.

"There's gonna be a war," Hanara whispered, "I just know it. And of course now of all times I'm scared of death, when I was never before…"

"Hanara," Shikamaru responded, rubbing her back comfortingly, "You're strong and smart. The reason that Lady Tsunade chose you is because you're capable. It's okay to be afraid, sometimes fear is what you need to survive. It's a survival instinct and can be the difference between life and death. If there's a war, you _will_ survive. You have just the right skill-set to, and I know that you'll do anything you can to make sure that everyone else will too."

They sat like that for a moment, Hanara sobbing in Shikamaru's shoulder and both hugging each other tightly.

* * *

Hanara calmed down ten minutes later, and she spent the rest of the day at Shikamaru's. She wasn't in the mood to do much, so they just lay down in the grass for most of it. Luckily, Yoshino and Shikaku didn't bother them.

"Shikamaru…" Hanara whispered as she noticed the sky get dark.

"Hmm?" he grunted from beside her.

"I– I don't want to spend the night alone…"

"I'm sure Mom and Dad won't mind."

_'I'm so lucky to have someone like him in my life.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm sorry if this chapter was cringe level 1000 (it's hard to tell when it's your writing, hence the if) but I tried. ShikaHana needed to develop, so this had to happen. I have no previous experience to look back on for their relationship and honestly, I've only ever read one romance book, ever. 
> 
> I know this is a bit shorter than usual but it didn't feel right to add any more.


	66. Sai

The next day, Shikamaru and Hanara decided to walk together to the Hokage Tower– Hanara to the Cryptanalysis Office and Shikamaru to the Chunin Exams meeting. She didn't have to go to all of them but Shikamaru wasn't so lucky.

On the way there, they ran into someone.

"Oh, Shikama–" Naruto cut himself off after realizing that she was there. "You _knew_ and you didn't tell me!"

Hanara stared at Naruto, confused, wondering what he could be upset about now.

"The Grass Village. You _knew._ "

_'She's sending_ **_him_ ** _on that mission? After my repeated reports of him letting his emotions get the better of him?'_

"It was confidential information! It was up to Lady Hokage to decide if it was even true! I couldn't very well tell you and get your hopes up! Besides, she has just as much a right, if not more than you, you know? It wasn't up to me to tell!"

"Just because she's the Hokage–"

"It's not that!"

"Then tell me what it is!"

Maybe it was the stress getting to her, but she lost it.

"Dammit, Naruto! What the fuck about ' _it's not my story to tell'_ don't you get? What, would you have appreciated it if I yelled about what's in you from the rooftops at the top of my lungs the moment I found out? No! _Fucking hell!_ Accept it if people don't tell you something!"

"Uh... Shikamaru? Hanara?" said Choji's voice from behind them. "Yoshino asked me to give you your–"

He was cut off by two huge tigers heading straight for Naruto.

Choji punched it, making it burst into an explosion of ink. Immediately, she knew it was a jutsu and activated her Byakugan. As Choji dealt with the second tiger, she took in the ninja sending ink tigers at them.

"He has ink and scrolls on him everywhere as well as a tanto. Leaf ninja," she informed them.

"Someone like that... you attack first and then send to T&I," Shikamaru growled.

Hanara nodded and formed some chakra threads from her exposed forearms, another trick she'd taught herself. She was _not_ in the mood for a long, dramatic, drawn-out, fight. He couldn't be harder to catch than Sasori, but with his ink animals they'd need her jutsus.

The boy drew more tigers and sent them after the four ninja, but Hanara spat Water Bullets at them and attempted to catch the boy with her chakra threads. Between her bullets and Shikamaru, Choji, and Naruto, the tigers were destroyed easily. Hanara wrapped her threads around the black-haired boy and jerked her right arm back, pulling him like a doll until he was mere inches away from them.

"'Maru?"

He nodded and put his hands in the rat seal.

"Shadow Stitching Jutsu."

Hanara released her chakra threads and spoke.

"Now, usually, I'd let you explain yourself and _then_ fight, but you've caught me in a bad mood right now. So, unless you don't explain yourself right now, you'll find yourself without a limb. Or two." she shot him a fake smile.

"I was merely testing the capabilities of my new teammate," the boy said. "Now I know he hides behind girls."

"Who? Naruto?"

The boy nodded.

"I don't hide–" Naruto started.

"What's your name?" Shikamaru asked. "And, who sent you here?"

"My name is Sai, and I cannot say who sent me here."

Sighing, Hanara created some chakra threads.

"I'll take him to Lady Tsunade. You go to your meeting, Shikamaru."

* * *

** No one's Perspective: **

Choji turned to Naruto. "Hanara's been really stressed lately, don't blame her if she snaps at you."

"She didn't tell me– I could have family _alive_ somewhere, and she didn't tell me!"

"Naruto, if it was about another Uzumaki, then surely you realize why." Shikamaru said.

"What do you mean?"

"You've never searched in the library for your last name? Looked on the memorial stone? Anything?" Choji asked incredulously.

At Naruto's blank face, Shikamaru elaborated.

"The Uzumakis were once a clan that lived in the Village Hidden in the Eddies. The First Hokage's wife was an Uzumaki. Lady Tsunade's _grandmother_ was an Uzumaki. And, Lady Tsunade knew her grandmother– she even modelled the seal on her forehead after the one on her grandmother's forehead."

"Granny Tsunade's related to me? She knew an Uzumaki?"

Choji and Shikamaru nodded.

There was a solemn silence.

"HEY!" Ino called, running up towards the boys a few minutes later. "Asuma-sensei's looking for you, Choji!"

"Sorry, Ino, some weirdo just attacked us." Choji said.

"Weirdo..." Ino said thoughtfully, looking around. "So, Naruto?"

"No–" 

Ino cut Choji off, "Hey Naruto! Long time no see!"

"Not him!" Choji exclaimed.

"Save your breath," Shikamaru sighed. "It's not worth it."

* * *

** Sasuke's Perspective, Hidden Sound Village: **

After convincing Karin to leave the Hidden Grass Village with countless stolen jutsu scrolls, Sasuke had travelled all around the Elemental Nations for six months, fighting and killing many ninja for their bounties in order to survive. During his many battles, he used his Sharingan to copy their jutsus. Whenever he was injured, Karin allowed Sasuke to bite her, healing him. Once he was positive that he could survive against Orochimaru's lackeys, he went back to the Sound Village, finding it nearly empty save for the few trapped in Orochimaru's labs. Sasuke freed them and then studied Orochimaru's many scrolls. Although Orochimaru's lack of morals disgusted Sasuke, the jutsus fascinated him.

Sasuke knew that the Naruto and the rest of the Hidden Leaf would come after him, so he never stayed in one of Orochimaru's bases long. With Karin by his side, it was easy to avoid people when he wanted to. He never imagined getting stronger like this, but _it worked._

* * *

** Hanara's Perspective: **

It was nighttime, and Neji was spending the night in his old home, which Hanara now owned.

"Hey, Neji?" Hanara asked, lying on the couch with him on another, opposite to her.

"Yes?"

"What if you knew horrible things were going to happen in the future, but you don't know enough details to stop them? Essentially, you knew everyone's destiny, but you don't know how they got there."

"I would do my best to redirect it," Neji answered instantly. "That is what Naruto has taught me."

Hanara mulled that over. "Okay."

But it didn't help– not really.

* * *

** A Few Days Later: **

"Hanara, Lady Tsunade wants you in her office." the head of department, Mitoku, said.

_'Huh, I wonder why...'_

"Okay..." she nodded.

Hanara made her way to the Hokage's Office and knocked.

"Come in," she heard Lady Tsunade call.

Hanara walked inside the office. 

"You asked for me?"

"Yes, the information you had given us was indeed correct. There was an Uzumaki in the Hidden Grass Village, but she went rogue. Her name was Karin Uzumaki. When she had been inside the Hidden Grass Village, she had been abused. In fact, they indirectly killed her mother. When Karin went rogue, she had been in contact with Sasuke. They are rumoured to be hiding in Orochimaru's old bases." Tsunade said.

"Oh..." Hanara said thoughtfully. "Have they found her?"

"They found her handing in a bounty with Sasuke, but both of them refused to come to the Leaf Village."

"I see..."

"He has become extremely proficient with both Lightning and Fire ninjutsu, as well." Tsunade added.

"Is there no hope of him returning to the Leaf?"

"If Naruto and Sakura couldn't convince him..." Tsunade trailed off.

"Thank you for informing me," Hanara bowed.

_'It's just one thing after another with this world, isn't it?'_ Hanara thought. _'I'm getting sick of this.'_

* * *

A few hours later, that's where Asuma-sensei found her: in her room, sitting on the floor with her head in her hands.

"Oh, I missed you coming back, didn't I?" she asked weakly.

"I don't blame you," Asuma-sensei said, crouching down to speak to her eye-to-eye. "You're allowed to take days off, you know. It's not healthy for you to be working when you're stressed out like this."

"I– It's stupid!" she exclaimed. "I don't know why I even feel so guilty! It's not like I can _do_ anything or even _know_ anything but I still feel responsible for everything! I feel like I'm lying and hiding things from everyone close to me but I can't tell them because they'll never trust me ever again, or they'll think I'm insane and– There's going to be a _war!_ I thought I accepted it, I thought I got strong enough, but no matter how many times I cry about it, I can't get over it!"

_'And after that fight with Naruto... He really hits where it hurts, doesn't he.'_

"Hanara, do you know anything that you haven't already mentioned?" Asuma-sensei asked gently.

"No..." she responded, her voice cracking.

"Then you have nothing to be guilty about," he said.

_'But I could've said all this earlier... Why isn't he prodding me for answers?'_

"Why...?" she asked.

"It isn't endangering the village in any way. You're allowed secrets, Hanara. If you want to tell us, you will when you're ready," Asuma-sensei said. "Anyway, since we finished a mission, we were planning on going to Yakiniku. You can join."

Hanara smiled, feeling a lot lighter than she had in weeks.

_'Maybe two meltdowns was what I needed...'_

She ran up to hug her sensei, once more appreciating the fact that he went above and beyond for her.

"Thank you."


	67. The Immortal Duo

**A/N: With holidays and things coming up, I don't know how often I'll be writing. Updates could get more frequent, or they could stop all together. I'll try my best to make it the former, however.**

**Also, I'm pretty sure 1 million ryo is $100, so that's how the money will be working here.**

**Anyway, Happy Hanukkah to all those celebrating, and onto the chapter!**

* * *

** No one's Perspective, The Fire Temple: **

Two men dressed in black and red cloaks were standing outside the gate of the Fire Temple.

"A temple? Are you sure this is the place?" Hidan questioned.

"We'll see," Kakuzu muttered, getting ready to punch down the gate. "This is no ordinary temple, so the odds are good."

The knocked down gate revealed monks in panic, running around like their lives were on the line– which, to be fair, was quite accurate.

"They don't look very willing to convert to the way of Jashin," Hidan commented as the monks assembled in rows.

A monk stepped forward until he was meters away from them.

"Ah, another virtuous sort," Hidan said, staring at the monk.

"Not just virtuous. His name is Chiriku, and according to our Bingo Book, his head's worth 30 million!" Kakuzu said.

"Hey, we aren't here to collect a bounty. Killing a monk for worldly gain is a ticket straight to damnation," Hidan said, turning to face his partner.

"I don't know what you want, but turn around and go home!" Chiriku demanded, drawing the two men's attention back to him.

"Not going to kill us without a cause, huh? That's not one of my beliefs, though." Hidan said, his fingers moving towards his red scythe.

"This temple is a famed temple within the Fire Country. It's said that all monks hold the ability of The Gift of the Holy Folk. Especially this man, who's worth 30 million. He's an elite shinobi that was once in the Guardian Shinobi Twelve." Kakuzu said. "Be careful, Hidan."

"Enough, Kakuzu!" Hidan exclaimed, running towards the monk.

* * *

** Hanara's Perspective, the Hokage Tower: **

_'B-rank, huh. The Wind Daimyo needs his son to be escorted to the Sand Village, where the Sand shinobi will then take him to his home. Alright, that'll be okay.'_

"I'll take that mission, Lady Tsunade." Hanara said.

"Good. Send him in."

Hanara opened the door, finding an extremely posh looking thirty-year-old on the other end.

"A little girl?" the man questioned, walking inside. "Surely you can find someone else more qualified, Princess? I heard that Hatake is free nowadays, what about him?"

"Kakashi-sensei is a bit busy, actually. You'll find that I'm more than qualified for this mission, however." Hanara said, more than used to clients judging her by her age and gender.

_'I take that back. I should've realized he's one of_ **_those_ ** _clients...'_

* * *

Three days in and Hanara was wondering why the mission wasn't a C-rank. Sure, the Wind Daimyo's son was bound to have ninja after him, but they hadn't run into anyone. Her client, whose name she soon found was Aito, was very uncooperative. He complained every few minutes about his feet or that he was thirsty or that she should 'jutsu him a carriage,' whatever that meant.

Needless to say, when she handed him over to some Sand Chunin, she was very relieved.

_'Still... running into no one on the way... that's a bit odd. He_ **_was_ ** _an important noble. Did someone scare off the bandits? In any case, it's best to stay alert... Maybe I'm getting paranoid but I have a bad feeling about this.'_

* * *

As Hanara got closer and closer to the Fire Country border, she saw something that made her panic.

Asuma-sensei was fighting Hidan. An immortal being. Although she was sure Asuma knew that, she sped up, running as fast as she could to catch up.

Hanara watched intently as Izumo and Kotetsu used Asuma-sensei's kunai and shuriken as a distraction in order to get close to Hidan and let Shikamaru use _that_ as a distraction to trap the Jashinist. 

_'Apparently they don't know... I guess Tsunade hasn't given them pictures...?'_

As she got a bit closer, she watched them converse, and saw her sensei and Shikamaru slowly realize who they were. On the other end of the clearing, however, Hidan's partner, who ended up being Kakuzu, punched Shikamaru and forced him to release his shadow.

 _'Shit. I was too late.'_ she thought as she finally was close enough to hear what was going on.

She studied her opponents as she slowed to a stop, hidden in the bushes.

_'Five hearts?? And they all have different chakra natures!'_

"Kotetsu! Izumo! Retreat!" Asuma-sensei ordered.

Izumo and Kotetsu complied, but they left their weapons inside Hidan's side.

_'All of them are close ranged shinobi... This isn't good. Both Hidan and Kakuzu are best suited to fighting close ranged opponents...'_

"The fellow in the front... for once you've struck gold, Hidan." Kakuzu said, walking next to his partner.

_'Asuma-sensei's bounty?'_

"Kakuzu, stay out of this." Hidan demanded. "I want them for my ritual."

"Fine..." Kakuzu sighed. "Be careful or I'll kill you."

"Would you quit it?!? I _wish_ someone would kill me, but that isn't really possible, is it?" Hidan exclaimed, drawing a symbol on the ground.

_'What was it that Father used to always say? Ah yes, "Assume that your opponent is smarter than you and never wastes a single move." If he's right, then what I should do is destroy that symbol and prevent him from making another one. Regardless, out of the two of them, I have a better idea on how to kill Kakuzu. Five hearts? Just destroy all five of 'em. Hidan on the other hand... not so much.'_

"I'm going in. Find a way to trap Mr. Immortal with your Shadow Stitching Jutsu, even if it's only for a moment. That's all the time I'll need to chop his head off," Asuma-sensei said.

"The risk is too high," Shikamaru commented, looking a bit nervous. "It's not like you."

"Don't you understand? This is the best shot we've got!" Asuma-sensei exclaimed. "They're stronger than even me!"

_'You really do feel helpless, don't you, sensei... I guess it's time for me to go for Hidan.'_

Hanara sent invisible chakra threads towards Hidan, but Kakuzu warned him, and he dodged.

"Tch. You think that after all the time I spent with Sasori, I wouldn't hear it if a chakra thread came at my partner? Come out," Kakuzu demanded.

 _'Nah, I like staying hidden, thanks.'_ Hanara thought.

She made a few water clones and scattered them around the bushes, transforming them to look like generic Leaf shinobi in case they were found. 

Hanara saw Shikamaru, Asuma, Izumo, and Kotetsu's faces light up with realization and smirked.

_'Now my allies are in the know and my enemies have no clue what's going to happen. Just the way I like my battles to go.'_

She threw kunai and shuriken with explosive tags on them with all her clones, making it impossible for the two Akatsukis to block the chakra threads that real her sent their way. However, she saw Kakuzu Body-Flickering behind each of her clones and slicing them quicker than her reflexes allowed her clones to block.

_'Dammit, he's smart. Focusing on the kunais while he can and calculating where I am based on that.'_

Hanara Body-Flickered beside Asuma-sensei and his squad.

"Weren't you on a mission?" Shikamaru asked.

"Nothing happened. Fairly easy. It left me on edge so on the way back, I was on high alert. And good thing, too." Hanara responded keeping her eyes constantly scanning their surroundings. "Kakuzu's immortal. Five hearts and all with different chakra natures. They're not gonna be easy to beat."

"All five?" Kotetsu asked incredulously.

"As far as I can tell." Hanara confirmed. "Besides Hidan's devotion to Jashin, I don't know anything about him."

The smoke cleared as she finished her sentence, and it revealed an annoyed Hidan, pulling various weapons out of his body.

"Oww..." he groaned. "Jabbing me here and there... such pests you are. The gods shall punish those who don't understand the pain of others."

"Hidan, are you sure you don't want me to interfere?" Kakuzu asked, appearing beside his partner. "She's the one who killed Sasori and Deidara. The Hidden Rain Village has a bounty on her as well. Only 5 million ryo, but money is money."

Hanara blanched, shocked at the new information.

_'The Hidden Rain? Didn't one of the members have a Hidden Rain headband? No... two actually. Is Hanzo connected with the Akatsuki somehow?'_

"Stay out of it, Kakuzu." Hidan growled.

"I'm going in," Asuma-sensei repeated himself. "Shikamaru, trap Hidan."

"Sensei, a long-ranged battle would be better–" Hanara protested.

"Hanara, you're the only long-ranged fighter out of the five of us. You wouldn't be able to hold them off, even with them at a disadvantage." Asuma-sensei said bluntly.

She bit her lip, knowing he was right.

"Izumo, Kotetsu, assist Hanara in fighting the other Akatsuki," Asuma-sensei continued. 

"We ought to retreat and formulate a plan..." Kotetsu said.

"You think they'll let us?" Asuma asked rhetorically. "If we don't stand and fight now, not only will we be slaughtered, but the Leaf will be at greater risk. We have no choice but to fight. We're 'the vanguard penetrating the enemy camp.' Once in a while you have to be able to make such a move."

"The role of a climbing silver doesn't suit you, Asuma..." Shikamaru murmured, still looking nervous.

"I won't be a simple sacrificial piece– not with you by my side." he said confidently.

The Leaf shinobi prepared themselves for the intense battle seconds away...

And so, it began.


	68. Shikamaru's Analysis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Merry Early Christmas and Happy Early Kwanzaa!

Kakuzu made no move to attack Izumo, Kotetsu, and Hanara, and as Hanara didn't want to openly start a battle that would be hard to finish, she focused on trying to catch him off-guard with her chakra threads.

Shikamaru was focusing intently on trapping Hidan as Asuma fought him, but Shikamaru wasn't exactly succeeding. As Asuma-sensei ran forward with his knuckle knives in his fists, Hidan threw one of Izumo's large kunais at Asuma. He dodged, but that was a distraction Hidan used to send his scythe to Asuma.

"Captain Asuma!" Izumo exclaimed.

That startled Asuma enough to turn his head, making the scythe only briefly scratch his cheek. Hidan smirked and pulled back his scythe, licking the tip of its longest blade. Shikamaru and Hanara were faring no better against their opponents. Kakuzu seemed to have a second sense for chakra threads.

_'Chakra threads are the only mid-ranged weapon in my arsenal right now. I don't exactly think a taijutsu match with this guy is going to work, but if I force him to go long-range, my teammates are useless. I might as well be a Genin if I have a squad that doesn't work with my skills. He doesn't seem to want to attack, and starting a battle with someone that outclasses you by a mile is a death wi–'_

_Boom!_

There was an explosion of fiery smoke, no doubt caused by one of Asuma's Fire Style jutsus. Unlike the rest of her team, Hanara could see what was happening inside the smoke, and it was not something she expected.

"No way... that can't be..."

"What is it?" Izumo asked urgently.

"Asuma-sensei's jutsu... it hit Hidan, but Sensei's got an injury that mirrors Hidan's!" Hanara said incredulously. "The burns are exactly the same..."

The smoke cleared, and it revealed Hidan standing up.

"How many times do I have to tell you? It _hurts!_ " Hidan whined. "Now, do you finally understand others' pain? I have cursed you. Now, the ritual shall begin."

_'What the heck? Ritual? Something to do with his stupid god, but what? I can't figure this guy out! Is he... insane?'_

"Well then!" Hidan yelled, smirking. "Let us experience the ultimate pain together, shall we?"

"Why is Asuma's arm burnt?" Kotetsu asked.

_'That's at least a third-degree burn– more than what Ino taught me, Shikamaru, and Choji to heal...'_

Shikamaru's eyes widened. "Don't tell me..."

_'Has he figured it ou– Oh fuck, no. It makes sense! Their injuries mirror each other's and the only thing that connects them right now is_ **_Sensei's blood_ ** _.'_

Despite his injuries, Asuma-sensei channelled chakra into both his knuckle blades and ran towards his opponent.

"MWA-HA-HA-HA-HA!" Hidan laughed. "It's no use! All the preparations have been complete!" Hidan screamed maniacally, stabbing his upper left thigh.

The effect was immediate. Asuma-sensei collapsed, holding _his_ upper left thigh in pain.

"Hurts, eh?" Hidan chuckled. "I didn't even hit a vital spot! But, _that_ pain is the best. When the other person's pain at the moment of their death seeps into my body, it transcends pain, transforming it into ecstasy!"

_'Kakuzu told Hidan that he wouldn't interfere. Going for Hidan should be easier.'_

"Ha! Where do you want to feel pain next, hmm? Or do you want it to end already?" Hidan questioned, raising his weapon towards his heart.

"Don't use an offensive technique to capture him," Izumo exclaimed. "It'll–"

"Hurt sensei too, I _know!_ " Hanara exclaimed, doing her best to send chakra threads as fast as she could.

"DIE!" Hidan yelled.

" _NO!!_ " Shikamaru screamed.

_'Come on, come on, come_ **_on!_ ** _Stupid chakra threads, move **faster**!'_

Hanara grabbed Hidan's weapon and stopped it, giving Shikamaru enough time to capture him.

"Good job, Shikamaru," Kotetsu muttered.

"You think you can stop me?" Hidan growled, fighting against the jutsu.

 _'No, but I'd rather die than not try,'_ Hanara thought, pulling Hidan's weapon away from his grip and towards her.

"Have you called for backup?" Hanara asked quietly.

"Ten minutes ago. It'll take them at least another twenty," Izumo answered.

_'Arghhhh what can we do????? We're all so helpless…'_

"Gah... Usually, in order to nullify a jutsu with continuous effect, you kill the caster." Kotetsu sighed.

"But in this case," Izumo continued. "Killing him means killing Captain."

"There are always limitations in loopholes in every jutsu." Shikamaru interjected, closing his eyes.

_'Right. Just calm down and think... "Assume that your opponent is smarter than you and never wastes a single move." Come on... think, Hanara, think! This isn't going to have irreversible effects on Asuma-sensei or anything. Totally not at all affecting your life and the lives of Izumo, Kotetsu, or Shikamaru. Yep. Not an important decision. So uh, think Hanara... What do you know ab–'_

"Have you got a plan, Shikamaru?" Izumo asked.

"Yeah," Shikamaru nodded.

Hanara let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

_'Phew. Trust 'Maru to come up with a plan in the few minutes I was working myself into a mental breakdown.'_

"Alright, Captain Asuma, here it goes..." Shikamaru muttered.

Shikamaru slowly forced Hidan's feet to move, bit by bit. The effort it was taking only proved just how outclassed they were.

"What are you doing?" Kotetsu questioned.

"I'm trying to force him outside... that weird diagram he drew. That will undo... his jutsu... and the curse."

_'_ **_That's_ ** _what I couldn't figure out...'_

"What do you mean?" Izumo asked.

"That scythe of his... it has three blades. From its shape, I can guess that it's meant... to extend its range. In short... if he inflicts a single wound... no matter how deep... it means certain death."

"What's the link between the injury and the curse?" Izumo asked.

_'Blood.'_

Shikamaru confirmed it. "Blood. If he takes in... his opponents blood... the jutsu will take effect. After he licked Asuma's blood, his body changed colours, so that was easy to deduce. But, there's one more important step to activate the curse. Earlier, he ignored Asuma's Fire Style jutsu and instead walked into his diagram. Once inside, he said, ' _The ritual shall now begin,'_ and, ' _All the preparations have been complete._ '"

"So if I destroy that symbol, or you force him out of it, he shouldn't be able to kill sensei. The link between them would be severed." Hanara said determinedly.

Shikamaru nodded.

"You _brat!_ " Hidan snarled.

"Not my fault you talk too much," Shikamaru smirked.

_'Finally! I keep saying that these criminals talk too much! Someone listens!'_

"Enough talk then!!!" Hidan exclaimed. "I'll tear you apart now and kill you later!"

"There won't be a later," Shikamaru shot back.

"Gahhhh," Hidan groaned.

"He's out!" Kotetsu exclaimed.

_'Not sure if he has measures to stop the destruction of the symbol but...'_

_Tiger. Ox. Dog. Rabbit. Snake._

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough."

Hanara released a gust of wind from her mouth. The wind however could only lift the sand particles without blood on them.

"Tch. At least he's out," she sighed.

"Let's see if his jutsu's undone or not!" Asuma-sensei said, throwing a shuriken at Hidan.

It scratched Hidan's ear, but Asuma's ear was unharmed.

"Yes!" Izumo exclaimed.

Shikamaru quickly switched from Shadow Possession to Shadow Stitching, not giving Hidan a moment to move. His shadows pierced Hidan from all over.

"AHHHH!!! HOW _DARE_ YOU!" Hidan yelled.

"I'm... almost at my limit," Shikamaru said, panting.

"That's fine. Good work," Asuma-sensei said.

Hanara glanced Shikamaru's way and noticed his chakra levels depleting at an alarming pace.

_'Heh. Haven't had to use this since Neji overworked himself during training a few weeks before Naruto came back.'_

Hanara focused and her left hand turned blue. The Chakra Transference Technique was one of the few medical techniques Ino had taught their team in the rare case they needed to perform first aid, and she wasn't there. Ironically enough, Hanara used it more than Ino did, although with their difference in reserves, it made sense.

She put her hand to Shikamaru's shoulder and focused on transferring her chakra. 

"Thanks, Hana," he sighed.

She shrugged, "Ino would kill me if she found out that my reserves weren't scratched and yours were almost gone."

"KAKUZU, DON'T JUST STAND THERE! HELP ME, QUICK!" Hidan's yell brought her attention back to him, although she still sent chakra to Shikamaru.

"I told you to be careful," Kakuzu snarled.

Asuma chopped off Hidan's head.

"Phew," Shikamaru said, his fingers finally coming out of the rat seal.

"We did it!" Kotetsu exclaimed.

"Yep," Asuma affirmed.

Sighing, Hanara stopped the flow of chakra from her hand. Shikamaru's reserves were half full, and she needed to make sure that she didn't deplete hers too quickly. Besides, his head may be chopped off, but Hidan was far from dead. He _was_ immortal, after all.

"If you wanted my help, Hidan, you should've asked earlier," Kakuzu growled.

"YOU'RE THE SLOW ONE! YOU DID IT ON PURPOSE, DIDN'T YOU?!?" Hidan's head exclaimed, glaring.

Shikamaru, Asuma, Kotetsu, and Izumo stared at the head open mouthed.

_'It looks a bit creepy, but didn't you know he was immortal? Oh, whatever.'_

"You're the one who told me to stay out of it at the start," Kakuzu sighed. "Besides, you're in no position to complain."

Hanara got her chakra threads ready, again.

"All right, I did say that. But, not without respect, I ask you, to _please_ bring me my head?"

_'And_ **_go!_ ** _'_

Hanara's chakra threads finally connected to Kakuzu.

"Yeah, you ain't going anywhere, buddy," she smirked.


	69. Helpless

** Last Time: **

_"Yeah, you ain't going anywhere, buddy," she smirked._

* * *

** Now: **

Kakuzu immediately grabbed on the chakra threads connected to him and tugged by detaching his hand from his wrist.

_'Okay,_ **_what the fuck?_ ** _Do all the Akatsuki members have some special thing that makes them completely different from normal people? Deidara's hand-mouths, Hidan's immortality, Kakuzu's weird string joints, and Sasori's whole 'I-am-a-puppet' thing...'_

Sadly for Hanara, Kakuzu was smart and stopped struggling against the threads moments later, instead opting to grab Hidan's head with his detached wrist.

"Oww... hey! Quit pulling my hair, will you? It hurts!" Hidan complained.

"Your neck wound should hurt more," Kakuzu deadpanned.

_'I'm getting the feeling that if he weren't on the opposite side and didn't have messed up morals, we would be friends...'_

"Idiot, the neck pain is _unbearable!_ " Hidan exclaimed. 

"I don't even know how to begin to explain this one..." Izumo murmured.

"He wasn't kidding when he said immortal," Hanara shrugged.

"Yeah, but even if he's alive, as long as he's not attached to his body he can't do anything." Shikamaru said. "He may be immortal, but he's useless."

"So, one left to go, huh." Kotetsu said.

Asuma-sensei got ready to attack, but Kakuzu's wrist smacked him onto the ground, abandoning Hidan's head.

"Argh!" Asuma-sensei groaned.

_'He channelled chakra for that hit... must be a ninjutsu specialist. I doubt the Bingo Book would miss out on something as obvious as medical ninjutsu.'_

"Asuma-sensei won't be able to get up anymore..." Hanara sighed.

Izumo and Kotetsu nodded grimly.

"Now that you've asked for my help, you'll be getting it whether you like it or not," Kakuzu growled.

And then, by some miracle, he _sewed_ Hidan's head onto his body.

"His head..." Kotetsu murmured, staring at it in shock. "What in the world are we up against?"

"Hanara, you hold down Hidan, I can keep Kakuzu still with my shadows." Shikamaru said.

_'Kakuzu is on another level. Even with his clan jutsu...'_

"You won't be able to–"

"I know! But every second counts. Izumo, Kotetsu–"

"Got it!" Izumo said.

Shikamaru's shadow stretched and Hanara released Kakuzu moments before it connected, rendering Kakuzu motionless. Hanara's threads connected to Hidan, who was forced to stay still and watch as Kakuzu was attacked by Izumo and Kotetsu.

Kotetsu summoned his huge, spiky weapon as Izumo weaved hand signs.

"Water Style: Syrup Mouth Trap!" Izumo yelled.

Hanara saw Kotetsu channel chakra to his feet in an odd way to walk on the syrup. Kakuzu attempted to take a step forward but was stuck. The Leaf chunin took that to his advantage and jumped, aiming his large weapon to Kakuzu's head. At that moment, everything went downhill.

Shikamaru lost control of his Shadow Stitching jutsu right before it could harm Kakuzu, allowing him to detach his wrists once more, and attack Kotetsu. Hanara wasn't fast enough at attaching chakra threads to Kotetsu, and was only able to watch helplessly as Kakuzu choked him. She was taken aback when Kakuzu actively went after Izumo as well. 

_'I'm the only one left.'_

Still holding down Hidan, Hanara ran towards Kakuzu, taking two kunais out of her weapons pouch and channelling Wind-Natured chakra through the metal. Each was meant to cut the threads connecting Kakuzu's wrists to his arms. She threw the knives oddly, aiming to cut with the sharp edges instead of the pointy tip. And... _success!_ Both the knives cut through their target. 

"Izumo! Kotetsu! Take care of Hidan!" Hanara commanded, not taking her eyes off her opponent.

She sent chakra to her feet, allowing her to step on the sticky water that trapped Kakuzu, and charged. There was no way that she could manage a sneak attack given her situation, so a suicidal frontal attack had to do. 

_'I've never had to do Gentle Fist one-handed_ **_and_ ** _on water while maintaining chakra threads...'_

"You think I can't reattach my limbs, girl?" Kakuzu sighed.

If she had any less control over her reactions, she would've shrieked with surprise. Instead, she hurriedly dodged the two wrists coming at her. She was fighting with one hand and taking her chakra control to its limit with her water walking, Gentle Fist strikes to Kakuzu's wrists, and chakra threads, and she wasn't even getting _close_ to Kakuzu. Hanara couldn't even do ninjutsu because her chakra threads were attached to her fingers.

 _'It doesn't matter if you don't do damage, just_ ** _stall_** _,'_ she thought. _'Help is on its way.'_

She determinedly ignored the fact that Asuma could bleed to death if people took too long. Anxiety was not going to help.

Luckily, Izumo and Kotetsu were faring much better against Hidan, seeing as _he_ couldn't detach limbs from his body. Their only annoyance was that every time Hidan was beheaded, Kakuzu would reattach his head.

But, when Kotetsu gave a particularly powerful hit to Hidan at the same time that Kakuzu aimed both his wrists towards Hanara, instinct took over. She released her chakra threads and blocked Kakuzu's attacks with both hands before realization took over.

"NO!" Hanara shrieked.

"ASUMA!!!!!" Shikamaru yelled.

Shikamaru toppled over, the chakra exhaustion finally hitting him.

It was too late. Hidan moved quickly and by the time Hanara sent her chakra threads after him, he had already plunged his scythe into his torso. Asuma faceplanted onto the ground, too weak to hold himself up. The only thing stopping Hanara from breaking down right then and there was the fact that she could see his chakra still circulating.

"The end." Kakuzu smirked.

"Oh yes... that's it... that's the stuff..." Hidan moaned.

After a few moments, Hidan pulled out his scythe. 

"I'm done over here, Kakuzu."

"Just give me a minute," Kakuzu responded, turning to the four remaining ninjas.

_'How can he just– Sensei is– I'LL KILL THEM IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO!'_

"Izumo, Kotetsu, bring Sensei's body over here." Hanara said, her voice deathly calm.

They immediately complied. 

_Snake._

Before Kakuzu could do a thing, Hanara was spitting out an enormous wave of water.

"Water Style: Exploding Water Shockwave," she said.

The wave of water was larger than anything Hanara had ever spit out, and it had enough force to knock Kakuzu back. And what's more, Hanara now had the field advantage because of the water. She was about to create a water bullet when something caught her eye.

_'Allies. They're here.'_

There was a sudden flock of crows surrounding everyone, obstructing them from Kakuzu's view.

_'Aoba's team. So Raido, Ino, and Choji, too.'_

"A pitiful attempt at obfuscation," Kakuzu commented, sending his wrists towards them.

Raido body-flickered in front of Kakuzu and cut the threads connecting Kakuzu's wrist to his arm.

"Shikamaru, Hanara, we're here to help," Ino said from behind them.

"Get Shikamaru someplace safe," Kotetsu said.

"Absolutely!"

_'Good thing they're here now... I've only got about a quarter of my reserves left.'_

Aoba distracted Hidan and Kakuzu with his crows while Choji took Asuma-sensei to the roof of the bounty station, but the moment the crows dispelled, Kakuzu followed them.

Hanara jumped to the roof.

"You can't have the cash cow," Kakuzu snarled. 

" _You_ can't have sensei!" Hanara glared.

"Take Asuma and Shikamaru and run!" Aoba said from below. "We'll handle these two!"

Hidan started talking to air.

"Sir, give us a bit more time. We're getting to the good bit." he whined.

"Enough, Hidan," Kakuzu sighed, appearing beside his partner. "We'll be back in no time."

"Gah," Asuma-sensei groaned, spitting out blood.

"Sensei!" Hanara exclaimed, kneeling beside him.

"Let's take Asuma and go!" Shikamaru said.

"Oh no you don't," Hidan smirked as he prepared to leave. "We'll be back soon, and besides, he's half-dead anyway."

And in a poof they were gone.

"I'll start treating him!" Ino announced.

"Hurry!" Hanara urged.

"N– No..." Asuma groaned. "I wou– wouldn't make it an– anyway... I can f– feel it... Heh... bet y– you know i– it, too..."

"Shut up, sensei! You don't get to talk like that now!" Hanara exclaimed.

Shikamaru, Choji, and Hanara stared at Ino as she began to treat Asuma, trying to find some shred of hope. Instead of the comfort they desired, they found despair. Ino shut her eyes, trying to hold in the tears.

_'No... No– Not again... There has to be some way–'_

* * *

**FLASHBACK:**

Hanara was in the phoenixes' realm as her summons felt that she needed to know more about their abilities.

"We don't have a Sage Mode, like most summoning animals do," Pho was saying. "Sage Mode is connected to natural chakra, which is the life force of everything. As beings that constantly cheat death, we aren't able to properly connect with nature's chakra. However, we _do_ have something that other summoning animals don't."

"What's that?" Hanara asked curiously.

"Each phoenix has the capability to save _one_ human from death. We can pour some of our life force into a dying human and allow him or her to live another day. If the person we save has another brush with death, they won't survive unless you humans can save them. After you use this ability once, you can't use the same phoenix again. And, whichever phoenix uses their ability will no longer remain immortal forever. One day, we will burst into ashes and never reform. So use it wisely."

**FLASHBACK END**

* * *

Hanara bit her thumb and performed the hand signs.

"Summoning Jutsu!" she exclaimed.

Pho appeared in a puff of smoke, staring at Asuma-sensei worriedly.

"Should I... use _that?_ " Pho asked.

"Please..." Hanara whispered.

Pho put her wing over Asuma-sensei's heart and clamped her eyes shut. Her wing glowed a strange mix of gold and blue, but it sputtered.

"What's she doing?" Ino asked.

"There's a technique the phoenixes have. It might save Sensei." Hanara said.

The golden-blue aura kept sputtering around Pho's wing.

"I– Is something wrong, Pho?" Ino asked. 

"It seems as though someone has tied your sensei's soul to the Lord of Death, Kamatayan. I– I cannot transfer my life force..."

"Kamatayan?" Choji questioned.

"Ah, yes, you would know him as Jashin, perhaps? Or Hades? I sincerely apologize, but I cannot interfere if a soul is attached to a god. None of us phoenixes can..." Pho said.

She disappeared with a poof, leaving Hanara to her thoughts.

 _'Why is it that Kamatayan saw me as good enough to spare, but can't leave Sensei alone? Is it because I failed_ _in saving him?'_

"Y– You already k– knew that I couldn't be sa– saved..." Asuma-sensei forced out. "It's al– alright... Besides, I th– think I finally und– understood what L– Lord Third mea– meant... I've g– got something I wa– want to tell you fo– four–"

"Sensei, stop talking!" Choji sobbed.

"Choji! Ino, Hana, you too. Listen carefully to Sensei's last words..." Shikamaru said.

"Ino..." 

"Yes, Sensei?"

"You m– may be a bit headstrong, but you're also considerate. Your teammates... they can be awkward and clumsy. Take care of them."

"Right!" she gave a watery chuckle.

"And... don't you ev– ever lose to Sakura, in ni– ninjutsu, or l– love."

"Yes, sir!" Ino nodded.

"Hanara, you sometimes r– rush into things wi– without thinking... but your spontaneity is your p– power. R– Remember that."

"Yes, Sensei!"

"Also, remember you have people y– you can rely o– on."

"Yes, Sensei."

"Choji, you're... a th– thoughtful, loyal friend, and a k– kind soul. In time, y– you'll become a st– stronger shinobi than everyone else. So, be m– more confident in yourself."

"Got it," Choji nodded, smiling through his tears.

"Also... y– you might want to drop a few pounds..."

"It might not be possible, but I'll sure try..."

"Heh... and f– finally Shi– Shikamaru. You're r– razor-sharp, with the instincts o– of a great sh– shinobi... Truly worthy of b– becoming a Hokage, th– though you'd probably try t– to avoid it, since y–" Sensei broke into a coughing fit. "You h– hate being bothered like that... All those shogi games, a– and not once cou– could I beat you. Which remi– reminds me... Remember th– that conversation about the king...? L– Let me tell y– you who it is. Give me your ear."

Shikamaru bent down and put his ear close to Asuma's mouth, allowing him to whisper. When Shikamaru sat up again, his eyes were wide with realization.

"Asuma– You– That's why...."

"I– I'm counting on you, S– Shikamaru. But, I guess... i– it's alright n– now. D– Don't ha– have to h– hold off sm– smoking a– anymore. Could... y– you get m– me... o– one l– last cigarette f– from m– my pouch?"

Shikamaru pulled out a cigarette, placed it in Asuma's mouth, and lit it. Hanara's thoughts wandered to the first time they met with the puff of smoke that was released.

_'He was always smoking, even then. And he always went the extra mile for me...'_

* * *

**FLASHBACK:**

Hanara was leaving the grocery store, bags in her hands, when she noticed her sensei waiting for her.

"Sensei? Did I miss training or something?" she asked, moving to the side, so she wasn't blocking the exit.

"No, it's nothing like that. I was thinking, now that the whole team is Chunin, Team 10 will separate. You'll have different schedules, and we can't do team training as much. What I'm trying to say is, I could still train you. I would offer an apprenticeship, but you'd have to change your whole fighting style... Anyway, how do you feel about that?"

Hanara blinked owlishly at her sensei, completely taken aback. Then, the meaning behind his words set in, and she dropped her bags.

"Thank you so much, Sensei."

**FLASHBACK END**

* * *

She focused on Asuma's chakra, which was getting dimmer and dimmer as the seconds passed. She watched, helpless to stop it as the blue glow of his chakra went out completely and Asuma's cigarette fell from his lips.

"SENSEI!!!!" Ino screamed, burying her head onto his chest.

Hanara released her byakugan and tore her eyes away from the site, sniffling as she stared at the rapidly darkening sky. She didn't move, even after it started to rain, instead allowing the raindrops to mix with her tears.

"It was a death befitting of a shinobi," Raido said, taking off his cloak and using it as a blanket in order to shield Asuma's corpse.

 _'Why? Why spare me instead of him? Why take away my father-figures just as I cement a bond with them? Why force me to watch both times, always helpless and unable to save them?_ ** _Why??'_** she thought angrily, releasing a pitiful sob.

Life was such a depressing thing. It always took things away from her, but she lived it anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The next time I post will probably be in 2021, so I give you advanced New Year wishes!


	70. The Power of Bullshit

Hanara had just come back from Asuma-sensei's funeral and was sitting on her bed, holding her team photo in her hands.

 _'It's all– It's all my fault...'_ she thought, silently sobbing. _'If I had focused more, then maybe Hidan wouldn't have gotten back into his symbol.'_

_Knock!_

Hanara jumped and furiously wiped her tears away. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself and then walked to the door.

"Yoshino? Shouldn't you be–"

"Tch. As if I would let you be all alone at a time like this. Shikamaru has his father to take care of him, anyway."

"He needs you more than I do. It's his first time..." she cut herself off, but both women knew what she was referring to.

_It's his first time dealing with death._

"Stop spouting off that nonsense," Yoshino glared, stepping inside the house. "You and I both know it hurts all the same. You deserve support and I'll be damned if I don't give it. I'm going to help you here and then you'll be spending the night at my house. Don't you _dare_ try to complain."

Hanara sighed and glanced at the elder woman gratefully. "Thanks..."

Yoshino took charge of the house, cooking Hanara lunch, cleaning up the mess Hanara had neglected, and spending time with her, allowing Hanara to get some of the comfort she didn't know she was longing for.

* * *

Alas, time stops for no man and Hanara knew that with the looming threat of the Akatsuki shadowing over all the Elemental Nations, she had to get a move on. Asuma's death lit a fire in Team 10's hearts, making them work harder than ever to find a way to defeat the Akatsuki.

And if they singled out Hidan and Kakuzu in particular... Well, no one had to know.

* * *

A few nights later, Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, and Hanara were sneaking out of the Leaf Village. They weren't going to go all missing-nin on the Leaf. Shikamaru's orders still stood. He was just tweaking his interpretation of them by assembling a new squad.

"Hold it!" a voice behind them commanded. "Just where do you think you're going?"

The four of them turned.

"Lady Fifth," Shikamaru said. "Your mission directive still stands, there are still 18 squads on the move. We've just assembled a new team and are heading out to complete the mission."

"Not without my approval you're not," Lady Tsunade glared. "The enemy said they'd return. _I_ will decide whether it's time to send out a proper squad. Shikamaru, you will join a troop of _my_ choosing that will leave only after devising a proper plan of attack."

"Just send them as reinforcements after us. We already have a solid strategy," Shikamaru said.

"Enough!" Tsunade roared. "You four are emotionally compromised. Yo–"

_'Time to bullshit our way out then.'_

Hanara took a step forward and spoke, careful to keep her tone calm. "With all due respect, Lady Tsunade, we are a four man squad _with_ a Jonin leader. We aren't Genin. Besides, everyone is emotionally compromised in some way when it comes to the Akatsuki. We want to protect the Leaf and are upset with the Akatsuki for targeting Sensei. You yourself are emotionally compromised because the Akatsuki is targeting Naruto. You're never going to find a completely neutral party unless you have a band of emotionless shinobi somewhere."

"Do you plan on this being some sort of battle to avenge your sensei?!?" Tsunade demanded. "It isn't like you... Do you _want_ to die in vain?"

_'Well, that didn't work... More bullshittery! Some good points...'_

"Lady Hokage, I've fought and killed two of the Akatsuki while knowing nearly nothing about them. Now we have one of the villages greatest strategists, know their skills, _and_ how they act," Hanara said.

"We're not stupid," Shikamaru continued. "We have no intention of _running to our deaths_. It's just..."

"Just what?"

Shikamaru sighed. "We don't intend to run away and keep living without fulfilling our duty. We aren't going to live without meaning!"

"Grow up! The shadow of death hangs over all shinobi! Some deaths may hurt more than others, but that's just life!"

_'Don't you think we know that?!'_

"Lady Hokage, don't you think we know that? We're a squad of four capable shinobi. We aren't compromised in any way, I–"

Hanara was cut off by Kakashi, "It is a bit unorthodox for a five man squad, but would you let them go if I went along?"

"Kakashi-" Lady Hokage moved to protest.

He interrupted her by whispering something in her ear. 

Lady Hokage grimaced and sighed. "I suppose I'll allow you to go."

Team 10 grinned triumphantly.

"So, Team Asuma, let's get going," Kakashi said, giving them an eye smile.

* * *

The five shinobi stopped in the middle of a forest.

"So, Shikamaru, let's hear that plan of yours," Kakashi said.

"I'd like to tweak it a bit now that you're here with us, Kakashi," Shikamaru responded, crouching down and drawing in the dirt.

"No problem, go on."

"Now, listen carefully, and memorize this..."

* * *

"Byakugan!" Hanara murmured, looking around for Kakuzu and Hidan.

A glance to the north was enough to find them.

_'Still arguing? I think Kakuzu is telling Hidan t– Yep, they're taking a different route.'_

"Taking a different route, just as you predicted, Shika," Hanara informed her group, eyes still tracking the two Akatsuki members. "If we go around ten kilometres northeast, we'll reach them."

"All right, let's go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: It's been a stressful few months (back into lockdown and all that jazz) and I just didn't have the time or right mindset to update. On top of that, writing this hasn't been as enjoyable as it was before and I've lost my inspiration for this. So, I really apologize, but I think I'm going to have to take a break. 
> 
> I'll probably come back to this but it'll take a while.


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